Clinical Management of Total Artificial Heart Drive Systems
- J. Brent Mays, PA-C, BHS;
- Melissa A. Williams, PA-C, BHS;
- Lawrence E. Barker, RN;
- Michael A. Pfeifer, MD;
- James M. Kammerling, MD;
- Sonya Jung, BSN, MSN;
- William C. DeVries, MD
- From Humana Heart Institute International (Messrs Mays and Barker, Mss Williams and Jung, and Dr DeVries); the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Veterans Administration Hospital and the University of Louisville School of Medicine (Dr Pfeifer); and Humana Hospital Audubon (Dr Kammerling), Louisville.
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
THE EVOLUTION of the total artificial heart (TAH) from animal experimentation to clinical research has necessitated major changes in the control of the drive equipment responsible for prosthesis function. Our experience with patients who have been permanent recipients of the heart has contributed to a refinement of the operating protocol and furthered understanding of the hemodynamic response to artificial circulation devices.
PROSTHESIS DESIGN The basic design of the pneumatic TAH has changed little since early animal experimentation and still incorporates a flexible diaphragm inside a semirigid housing.1-3 In the Jarvik-7-100 (Symbion, Inc, Salt Lake City) ventricles, which constitute the device under discussion herein, polyurethane polymer (Biomer, Ethicon Inc, Somerville, NJ) is molded with Dacron polyester mesh to form the semirigid housing. Four layers of Biomer each 0.18 mm in thickness constitute the inflatable diaphragm. Graphite powder between the diaphragm layers deters creation of a flexion crease, which could lead
Footnotes
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Reprint requests to Humana Heart Institute International, One Audubon Plaza Dr, Louisville, KY 40217 (Mr Mays).
