DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF TOTALLY IMPLANTABLE VENTRICULAR ASSIST SYSTEM USING A VIBRATING FLOW PUMP AND TRANSCUTANEOUS ENERGY TRANSMISSION-SYSTEM WITH AMORPHOUS FIBERS

We have developed a vibrating flow pump (VFP) that can generate oscill ated blood flow with a relatively high frequency (10-50Hz) for a total ly implantable ventricular assist system (VAS). To evaluate the newly developed VAS, left heart bypasses, using the VFP, were performed in c hronic animal experiments. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded in a d ata recorder in healthy adult goats during an awake condition and anal yzed in a personal computer system through an alternating-direct curre nt converter. Basic performance of the total system with a transcatane ous energy transmission system were satisfactory. During left ventricu lar assistance with the VFP, Mayer wave fluctuations of hemodynamics w ere decreased in the power spectrum, the fractal dimensions of the hem odynamics were significantly decreased, and peripheral vascular resist ance was significantly decreased. These results suggest that cardiovas cular regulatory nonlinear dynamics, which mediate the hemodynamics, m ay be affected by left ventricular bypass with oscillated flow. The de creased power of the Mayer wave in the spectrum caused the Limit cycle attractor of the hemodynamics and decreased peripheral resistance. Th ese results suggest that this newly developed VAS is useful for the to tally implantable system with unique characteristics that can control hemodynamic properties.