INTRAVENTRICULAR AXIAL FLOW PUMP ARTIFICIAL HEART

A UNIQUE ROTARY ARTIFICIAL HEART FOR PERMANENT IMPLANTATION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS OF INFECTION, THROMBOEMBOLISM, AND DEVICE COMPLEXITY WHICH MAKE LONG-TERM SUPPORT OF PATIENTS WITH EXISTING PNEUMATIC AND ELECTRIC ARTIFICIAL HEARTS IMPRACTICAL. THE NEW SYSTEM DEPENDS ON THE SUCCESS OF THE MINIATURE MOTOR, AXIAL FLOW PUMP, AND PYROLYTIC CARBONBEARING SYSTEM. TOGETHER THESE FUNCTION AS A ONE-MOVING-PART DEVICE THAT REQUIRES NO VALVES OR SHAFTSEAL TO BE IMPLANTED WITHIN THE CAVITY OF THE LEFT VENTRICLE AND THAT PROVIDES A CARDIAC OUTPUT IN EXCESS OF 10 LITERS/MINUTE. THIS PROJECT INCLUDES FABRICATION AND TESTING OF THE MOTOR, PUMP, AND BEARING SYSTEM. THE KEY PYROLYTIC CARBON-BEARING COMPONENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUCCESSFULLY FABRICATED, RELIABLE MOTOR DESIGN CALCULATIONS HAVE PREDICTED EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE, AND EXPERT CAD/CAM COLLABORATION TO ASSIST IN THE DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF THE PUMP BLADING HAS BEEN ARRANGED. THUS, THE RESEARCH PLAN WILL PROVIDE DATA CHARACTERIZING THE PRESSURE, FLOW, AND EFFICIENCY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM, AND QUANTIFYING THE HEMOLYSIS CAUSED INDEPENDENTLY BY BOTH THE BEARINGS AND PUMP BLADING. THIS WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO DETERMINE THE BASIC FEASIBILITY OF THE APPROACH. DURING PHASE II, THE DESIGN WILL BE OPTIMIZED AND ANIMAL TESTS WILL BE CONDUCTED TO DEMONSTRATE FREEDOM FROM THROMBOSIS.