title: Design of a right ventricular mock circulation loop as a test bench for right ventricular assist devices.
abstract: Right heart failure (RHF), e.g. due to pulmonary hypertension (PH), is a serious health issue with growing occurrence and high mortality rate. Limited efficacy of medication in advanced stages of the disease constitutes the need for mechanical circulatory support of the right ventricle (RV). An essential contribution to the process of developing right ventricular assist devices (RVADs) is the in vitro test bench, which simulates the hemodynamic behavior of the native circulatory system. To model healthy and diseased arterial-pulmonary hemodynamics in adults (mild and severe PH and RHF), a right heart mock circulation loop (MCL) was developed. Incorporating an anatomically shaped silicone RV and a silicone atrium, it not only enables investigations of hemodynamic values but also suction events or the handling of minimal invasive RVADs in an anatomical test environment. Ventricular pressure-volume loops of all simulated conditions as well as pressure and volume waveforms were recorded and compared to literature data. In an exemplary test, an RVAD was connected to the apex to further test the feasibility of studying such devices with the developed MCL. In conclusion, the hemodynamic behavior of the native system was well reproduced by the developed MCL, which is a useful basis for future RVAD tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr.20, 52074 Aachen.
authors.forename: Indra
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen.
authors.forename: So-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jansen-Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neidlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Steinseifer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Automatic Control, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen.
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Autschbach
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rossaint
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schmitz-Rode
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Engineering, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen.
authors.forename: Simon Johannes
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sonntag
mesh_terms: D032701:Biomimetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: anatomical mock ventricle; cannula; mechanical circulatory support; pulmonary hypertension; pulmonary mock circulation; right heart failure