The evolution of mechanical circulatory support (MCS): a new wave of developments in MCS and heart failure treatment

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases and heart failure (HF) remain one of the major causes of worldwide mortality. According to the American Heart Association, 85.6 million adults in the US suffer from cardiovascular diseases, out of which 5.7 million are living with HF (1). Decades of dedicated efforts on clinical as well as technological aspects of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices have led to their widespread success and acceptance for the treatment of advanced HF. Ventricular assist devices are key players in the MCS field. Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are a promising treatment option for HF due to the dearth of available donor organs for cardiac transplantation, despite the increasing number of patients on waiting lists (2). As per the annual INTERMACS reports, over 13,000 patients in the US received LVAD support in 2014 (3). Long-term follow-up studies of the newest generation of LVADs, including the HeartMate 3 (Abbott, North Chicago, IL, USA) and jtd.amegroups.com

An Optimal H-Infinity Controller for Left Ventricular Assist Devices Based on a Starling-like Controller: A Simulation Study

“…Although medical HF management has been enhanced, cardiac transplantation remains the best treatment for HF at the end stage. Nevertheless, the lack of transplantation donor hearts, drug limitations, and surgical procedures have aided in implementing numerous schemes of mechanical support for the most seriously ill HF patients [4]. Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), known as implantable rotary blood pumps (IRBPs), can turn into a viable long-term alternative for the bridging of cardiac transplants or indefinite assistance (destination therapy).…”

Physiological Control Law for Rotary Blood Pumps with Full-State Feedback Method

“…In contrast, HF patients can often be left in the hospital, unable to undergo or await heart transplantation, and wishing for a decent quality of life. Also, according to the annual reports of Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS), more than 13,000 patients received left ventricular assist device (LVAD) in 2014 in the United States [4]. Cardiac assistance technology is now evolving in order to enable these patients to achieve a high standard of living.…”