In vivo acute performance of the Cleveland Clinic self-regulating, continuous-flow total artificial heart

Abstract

Background-The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute in vivo pump performance of a unique valveless, sensorless, pulsatile, continuous flow total artificial heart (CFTAH) that passively self-balances left and right circulations without electronic intervention.

Biventricular support using implantable continuous-flow ventricular assist devices

“…A group at Cleveland Clinic is now developing a TAH that could passively selfregulate the flow balance between left and right artificial hearts in response to atrial pressure balance. 11,12 Clinical applications of such devices would overcome the drawbacks of the continuous-flow BiVAD/TAH.…”

Previous challenges and current progress–the use of total artificial hearts in patients with end-stage heart failure

“…Encouraged by the success of continuous-flow LVADs in supporting patients with advanced heart failure over the last 15 years, several groups have begun to focus intently in the current era on rotary blood pump technology to craft the next generation of TAH. BiVACOR (Houston, TX, USA) [10] and Cleveland Heart (Cleveland, OH, USA) [11,12] each have developed rotary TAHs that leverage the advantages of centrifugal pumps. These rotary pumps lacked any mechanical bearings or other sources of mechanical wear and no flexible components or valves, and both utilize a two-sided impeller, with blades on one face that accelerate the systemic blood and on the other face that pump pulmonary blood.…”

Ventricular Assist Device – How to Obtain Optimal Benefits?

“…The HeartWare HVAD, Jarvik 2000, Trumo DuraHeart and Ventracor VentrAssist devices are in clinical trials. The Cleveland Clinic TAH (Fumoto et al 2010;Fukamachi et al 2010) can transition continuous flow principles to a TAH and allow the technology to be used in patients requiring biventricular support. Compared with previous pulsatile devices, continuous-flow pumps cannot completely decompress the left ventricle as the native heart must have some residual volume to prevent suction events.…”