title: A naturally shaped silicone ventricle evaluated in a mock circulation loop: a preliminary study.
abstract: Mock circulation loops are used to evaluate the performance of cardiac assist devices prior to animal and clinical testing. A compressible, translucent silicone ventricle chamber that mimics the exact size, shape and motion of a failing heart is desired to assist in flow visualization studies around inflow cannulae during VAD support. The aim of this study was therefore to design and construct a naturally shaped flexible left ventricle and evaluate its performance in a mock circulation loop. The ventricle shape was constructed by the use of CT images taken from a patient experiencing cardiomyopathic heart failure and used to create a 3D image and subsequent mould to produce a silicone ventricle. Different cardiac conditions were successfully simulated to validate the ventricle performance, including rest, left heart failure and VAD support.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering Systems and Medical Device Domain, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia. shaun.gregory@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Timms
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pearcy
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tansley