Development of TransApical to Aorta Double Lumen Cannula for a Neonate LVAD

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support allows the neonate with congenital heart disease or cardiomyopathy to grow to a larger body weight that is more feasible for complex surgical correction or heart transplant.A paracorporeal LVAD, the Berlin heart ExCor, is FDA-approved for pediatric application. Although this device is outside the body, the outflow graft may still create coronary artery/heart compression. Our ultimate goal is to develop a less invasive and dependable LVAD system for the neonate. The enabling technology will be a small (16-18 Fr) double lumen cannula (DLC), which is inserted from the apex though the LV and aortic valve into the aorta with the drainage lumen opening in the LV and the infusion lumen in the aorta. Coupled with a blood pump, blood is withdrawn from the LV and infused into the aorta to unload the LV though a single cannulation. This DLC-based LVAD: 1) has only one apex cannulation, avoiding heart/coronary artery compression, 2)