PORTABLE BALLOON PUMP DRIVER

CIRCULATORY ASSIST DEVICES ARE NEEDED FOR IMMEDIATE TEMPORARY TREATMENT OF ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND FOR SOME POSTCARDIOTOMY PATIENTS. SINCE MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO, THE EFFORTS OF A NUMBER OF RESEACHERS AND CLINICIANS HAVE RESULTED IN THE NOW WIDELY USED COUNTERPULSATION INTRA-AORTIC BALLOON PUMPING (IABP), WHICH INCREASES MYOCARDIAL OXYGEN UPTAKE AND CORONARY PERFUSION, AND REDUCES LOAD ON THE HEART AND ITS OXYGEN DEMAND. IN 1973 A PNEUMATICALLY-OPERATED MECHANICAL AUXILIARY VENTRICLE (MAV), WHICH OPERATES ON THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS AN IABP, WAS IMPLANTED INTO THE AORTA OF A PATIENT DURING CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS, AND IT SUSTAINED HIM FOR 96 DAYS. SINCE 1985, PNEUMATIC ARTIFICIAL VENTRICLES HAVE BEEN USED AS TEMPORARY ASSIST AND REPLACEMENT DEVICES PRIOR TO TRANSPLANTATION, AND A WEARABLE, BATTERY-OPERATED DRIVER HAS RECENTLY BEEN DEVELOPED THAT CAN POWER A PNEUMATIC VAD OR TAH OF AMBULATORY PATIENTS. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE OF A PORTABLE INTRA-AORTIC BALLOON PUMPING MACHINE FOR INTRA- AND INTER-HOSPITAL AND VEHICULAR PATIETNT TRANSPORT.