The BiVACOR rotary biventricular assist device: concept and in vitro investigation.
The BiVACOR is a novel rotary Biventricular Assist Device (BiVAD) undergoing development to treat global end-stage heart failure. The design includes left and right vanes positioned on a shared rotating hub to form a double-sided magnetically and hydrodynamically suspended centrifugal impeller. The performance of the device was assessed in a pulsatile mock circulation loop replicating end-stage biventricular heart failure, and was shown to restore flow from pathological (2 L/min) to normal levels (5 L/min). A novel technique to balance the left/right outflow of the BiVAD was also investigated, for which a maximum relative left to right outflow differential of 1.8 L/min was achieved at normal physiologic afterloads. The in vitro results encourage device progression to in vivo animal studies. Successful development of this BiVAD will provide a suitably miniature device for patients who require biventricular assistance.
Timms
Daniel
D
Critical Care Research Group, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. timmsd@gmail.com
Fraser
John
J
Hayne
Mark
M
Dunning
John
J
McNeil
Keith
K
Pearcy
Mark
M
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D018056:Hemorheology; D006801:Humans; D011673:Pulsatile Flow