A moving-actuator type electromechanical total artificial heart. II. Circular type and animal experiment

Abstract

A new type of electromechanical total artificial heart (TAH) based on circular rolling-cylinder mechanism was developed to overcome critical problems in motor-driven artificial hearts such as large size and difficulties in fitting the heart to atrial remnants and arterial vessels. Its performance and reliability were evaluated in mock circulation and in an animal implant experiment. The total weight and volume of the pump is 650 g and 600 mL, respectively. This new pump was implanted in a calf for total heart replacement and 96 h of survival was achieved. The whole system, including pump, controller, and control algorithm performed well enough to improve the prospect of eventual clinical application of our TAH system.