Performance Characterization of a Rotary Centrifugal Left Ventricular Assist Device With Magnetic Suspension

• Published in: Artificial organs Vol. 32; no. 5; pp. 366 - 375
• Main Authors: Jahanmir, Said, Hunsberger, Andrew Z., Heshmat, Hooshang, Tomaszewski, Michael J., Walton, James F., Weiss, William J., Lukic, Branka, Pae, William E., Zapanta, Conrad M., Khalapyan, Tigran Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.05.2008
• Subjects: Alloys - chemistry; Animals; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Biomimetic Materials - chemistry; Blood Pressure - physiology; Body Temperature - physiology; Cattle; Centrifugal blood pump; Electromagnetic Phenomena - instrumentation; Equipment Failure; Glycerol - chemistry; Heart-Assist Devices; Hemolysis - physiology; Left ventricular assist device; Magnetic bearing system; Male; Materials Testing - instrumentation; Mock circulatory system; Models, Animal; Prosthesis Design - instrumentation; Pulsatile Flow - physiology; Rotary blood pump; Rotation; Titanium - chemistry; Vibration; Viscosity; Water - chemistry
• ISSN: 0160-564X; 1525-1594
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-1594.2008.00559.x

:  The MiTiHeart (MiTiHeart Corporation, Gaithersburg, MD, USA) left ventricular assist device (LVAD), a third‐generation blood pump, is being developed for destination therapy for adult heart failure patients of small to medium frame that are not being served by present pulsatile devices. The pump design is based on a novel, patented, hybrid passive/active magnetic bearing system with backup hydrodynamic thrust bearing and exhibits low power loss, low vibration, and low hemolysis. Performance of the titanium alloy prototype was evaluated in a series of in vitro tests with blood analogue to map out the performance envelop of the pump. The LVAD prototype was implanted in a calf animal model, and the in vivo pump performance was evaluated. The animal's native heart imparted a strong pulsatility to the flow rate. These tests confirmed the efficacy of the MiTiHeart LVAD design and confirmed that the pulsatility does not adversely affect the pump performance.