Evaluation of the efficiency of a newly developed permanent implantable mechanical cardiac assist device

Summary form only given. A permanent implantable mechanical cardiac assist device has been developed to operate efficiently and to be easily implanted. The assist, a counterpulsation device, increases aortic pressure during diastole and reduces aortic pressure just prior to systole displacing a volume of blood. The efficiency and power required by the assist are important factors in evaluating the full implantability of the device because the assist must be capable of operating for approximately ten million cycles for three years and with only a small, low-voltage power source. Experimental results are promising. The assist is of an implantable size and can be operated by a low-voltage power source. In addition, this device can be implanted easily, since heart-lung bypass is not needed. Finally, since the direct mechanical assist has no valves, the device can be turned off without impeding blood flow