Effects of Unphysiological Factors on Cardiac Output Regulation During Artificial Heart Pumping

Several Factors affecting artificial heart output were studied employing two mathematical models of prosthetic hearts, i.e., sac and diaphragm heart models. The stroke volume sensitivity to changes in venous pressure was analyzed by numerical computations. Increased inflow valve resistance, increased pump vacuum pressure, decreased elasticity of the ventricular sac or diaphragm and decreased size of the ventricle were shown to depress artificial heart function. In total prosthetic heart replacement experiments in calves, the resistance at the junction of the right heart to the natural atrium was measured by varying the pump vacuum pressure. When the vacuum pressure exceeded ¿20 mmHg, the orifice resistance to flow increased approximately 4 times. Optimizing the above factors, a prosthetic heart should be designed that provides sufficient flow with a pump vacuum pressure not greater than ¿20 mmHg.