Towards the Development of a Multipurpose Console to Drive Pneumatic Assist Devices in Severe Heart Failure Refractory to Medical Treatment

J. M. CAMUS; A. F. PASCANER; E. I. C. FISCHER; S. B. RANIERI; S. GRAF

Caba

Congreso; 2019 Global Medical Engineering Physics Exchanges/ Pan American Health Care Exchanges (GMEPE/PAHCE); 2019

Right, left or biventricular assistance are currently used in severe heart failure as a bridge to cardiac transplant, long-term devices, myocardial recovering or destination therapy. Pneumatic assist devices provide a significant improvement of circulatory failure in acute myocardial depression (intra-aortic balloon pumping) and an adequate chronic support (Excor-Berlin Heart). Moreover, the SynCardia total artificial heart (pneumatic) is, as the Excor, indicated as an alternative therapy in patients waiting a cardiac transplant. Pneumatic assist devices used in severe heart failure are currently considered as a low-cost strategy to obtain a prompt recovery of blood circulation. In this research we analyzed the characteristics of three pneumatic assist devices commercially available and hypothesized about the possibility of manufacturing a multipurpose low cost console to drive them.