Another way of pumping blood with a rotary but noncentrifugal pump for an artificial heart.
This article describes an alternative mode of pumping blood inside the body. The device is a non centrifugal, valveless, low speed rotary pump, electrically powered, based on Wankel engine principle. The authors developed an implantable electrical actuator resulting in a compact, sealed motor-pump unit with electrical and magnetic components insulated from fluids. The results in the flow curve and in the pumping action show some common points but also some basic differences compared to classical pulsatile pumps or centrifugal pumps. The blood coming from the atrium follows a continuous movement without any stop flow but with variations creating pulsatility. Ejection and filling of the pump are simultaneous. It is always an active filling. Hydraulic efficiency depends on clearance in the pumping chamber and outlet port pressure. A 60 cc device allows flows up to 8-9 liters. The implantable motor is cyclindrical in shape, has a moderate weight (490 grams) and presents a good efficiency (32% for a rotary speed of 90 rpm against a mean aortic pressure of 150 mm of Hg). The authors conclude that their device could be proposed after further experimental studies, as an LVAD for shortterm assistance with a good promise for permanent application.
Monties
J R
JR
Laboratoire de Recherches Chirugicales, Falculté de Médecine, Université Aix-Marseille II, France.
Mesana
T
T
Havlik
P
P
Trinkl
J
J
Demunck
J L
JL
Candelon
B
B
D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology; D002417:Cattle; D004867:Equipment Design; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans