Development of a flexible inflow cannula with titanium inflow tip for the NEDO biventricular assist device.
A newly designed flexible inflow cannula has been developed for a biventricular assist device (BVAD). The inflow tip was designed for long-term ventricle drainage. Considering the anatomic differences between the right and left ventricles, a flexible inflow cannula, as a mass production model with a titanium tip, was developed and investigated in chronic BVAD animal experiments using the NEDO permanently implantable centrifugal blood pump. These flexible inflow cannulae consist of flexible plastic tubing with wire supported, titanium left and right tips. The right titanium inflow tip was designed with inner and outer stoppers to be inserted into the right ventricle wall and a beak shape to avoid sucking. The left tip was designed to be inserted into the left ventricle cavity. Five chronic BVAD bovine studies were performed to investigate the new beak shaped titanium tip. In these studies, the new beak shaped titanium tip and cannula prevented stenosis by a proliferation of pseudoneointimal, and supplied adequate blood flow to the pump without sucking. This newly designed inflow cannula with the beak shaped titanium tip was successfully implanted for 90 days.
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Kuniyoshi
K
Watanabe
Toshimasa
T
Asai
Seiji
S
Ichikawa
Tadashi
T
Motomura
Atsushi
A
Hata
Seiichi
S
Ito
Toshiyuki
T
Shinohara
Shinichi
S
Tsujimura
Daniel J
DJ
Oestmann
Yukihiko
Y
Nosé
D000818:Animals; D002404:Catheterization / Q000592:standards; D002417:Cattle; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D004867:Equipment Design; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects; D010969:Plastics; D014025:Titanium
D010969:Plastics; D014025:Titanium