Toward a Nonpulsatile Totally Implantable Artificial Heart

Abstract

The use of a nonpulsatile pump is one of the most interesting approaches to the development of a circulatory support system for long-term use; including a totally implantable artificial heart. Toward the development of such a device, we selected as a prototype a centrifugal magnet pump in which no seal was required at the rotating part (MD-10; Iwaki Pump, Tokyo, Japan). A nonpulsatile pump has good characteristics as an artificial heart, such as simple structure, no artificial valves, no compliance chamber, relatively good efficiency, easy prediction of durability, and small right pump for total implantation. However, there are several problems, for example, fluid leakage around the seal causing poor durability, the physiological feasibility of nonpulsatile flow, antithrombogenicity, and the occurrence of hemolysis. Fluid leakage is not a problem in this type of non-seal pump. Here we describe the results of our investigations concerning the physiological feasibility of nonpulsatile flow and our attempts to improve the anti-thrombogenicity and to lower the hemolysis rate.