title: Laboratory performance testing of venous cannulae during inlet obstruction.
abstract: Venous cannulae undergo continuous improvements to achieve better and safer venous drainage. Several cannula tests have been reported, though cannula performance during inlet obstruction has never been a test criterion. In this study, five different cannulae for proximal venous drainage were tested in a mock circulation that enabled measurement of hydraulic conductance after inlet obstruction by vessel collapse. Values for hydraulic conductance ranged from 1.11 x 10(-2) L/min/mm Hg for a Thin-Flex Single Stage Venous Cannula with an open-end lighthouse tip to 1.55 x 10(-2) L/min/mm Hg for a DLP VAD Venous Cannula featuring a swirled tip profile, showing a difference that amounts to nearly 40% of the lowest conductance value. Excessive venous drainage results in potentially dangerous high-negative venous line pressures independent of cannula design. Cannulatip design featuring swirled and grooved tip structures increases drainage capacity and enhances cannula performance during inlet obstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Antoine P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ganushchak
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wortel
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van der Nagel
authors.forename: Frederik H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: van der Veen
authors.forename: Dick S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: Jos G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Maessen
mesh_terms: D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D012212:Rheology