Durability testing of components for the Jarvik 2000 completely implantable axial flow left ventricular assist device.
A cable-lead tester and real time bearing tester have been developed with provisions to test future implantable electronics, transcutaneous energy transfer system (TETS), and related interconnect cabling designs. The cable/lead tester, used in 1997 to test a previously considered implantable bellows-connector-cabling system, can test up to 10 samples at a time. X-Y-Z-theta motions are applied to the proximal end of the test specimen with its distal end fixed. The real time bearing tester is of a mock loop configuration with the bearings under test housed in a fully functional, Good Manufacturing Practices assembled axial pump. A simulated left ventricular pulsatile preload is applied to the inflow of the axial pump, while its outflow is subjected to an 80 mmHg aortic afterload by pumping into a fixed height tube with no outflow restriction. The heated blood bath saline used in this system is UV sterilized and mechanically filtered by use of a commercial salt water conditioning system attached external to the main preload fluid reservoir. The cable-lead tester and real time bearing tester design include provisions to house a complete Jarvik 2000 left ventricular assist device (Transicoil Medical, Norristown, PA) for in vitro system testing.
Marlinski
E
E
Transicoil Medical, Norristown, Pennsylvania 19403-5214, USA.
Jacobs
G
G
Deirmengian
C
C
Jarvik
R
R
D004867:Equipment Design; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013997:Time Factors