Implantable continuous-flow total artificial heart for newborns and small pediatric patients: First report of working model.

Objective: The need for safe and reliable mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for smaller children with severe heart failure (HF) is well defined. More specifically, in pediatric patients with advanced congenital HF, there is no implantable total artificial heart (TAH) device available for small patients. Herein, we report the development of the infant continuous-flow total artificial heart (I-CFTAH), a fully implantable in infants and newborns.

A less-invasive left atrial assist device concept for diastolic heart failure: First in vitro and in vivo assessment.

Objective: A less-invasive left atrial assist device (LAADx) is a novel and implantable, extracardiac blood pump concept, intended for the treatment of diastolic heart failure, represented by heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Methods: A mixed-flow pump was used as the working LAADx model. Its performance was evaluated at 3 speeds, using an in vitro pulsatile mock circulatory loop, with a pneumatic pump that can simulate diastolic heart failure conditions by adjusting the diastolic drive pressure.

Improving hydraulic performance of the left atrial assist device using computational fluid dynamics.

Background: The left atrial assist device (LAAD) is a novel continuous-flow pump designed to treat patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, a growing type of heart failure, but with limited device-treatment options. The LAAD is implanted in the mitral plane and pumps blood from the left atrium into the left ventricle. The purpose of this study was to refine the initial design of the LAAD, using results from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses to inform changes that could improve hydraulic performance and flow patterns within the LAAD.

Lack of Interchangeability Between 3 Different Methods for Quantification of Everolimus in Blood: ACMIA, LTIA, and UHPLC-MS/MS.

Background: Affinity chrome-mediated immunoassays (ACMIA) do not require pretreatment and have a wide calibration range and good analytical performance. To date, no studies have compared ACMIA and latex agglutination turbidimetry immunoassays (LTIA). The objective of this study was to evaluate the interchangeability of ACMIA, LTIA, and the previously developed ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).

Cleveland Clinic Continuous-Flow Total Artificial Heart: Progress Report and Technology Update.

Cleveland Clinic's continuous-flow total artificial heart (CFTAH) is being developed at our institution and has demonstrated system reliability and optimal performance. Based on the results from recent chronic in vivo experiments, CFTAH has been revised, especially to improve biocompatibility. The purpose of this article is to report our progress in developing CFTAH.