Estimation of Left Ventricular Stroke Work for Rotary Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

Continuous monitoring of left ventricular stroke work (LVSW) may improve the medical management of patients with rotary left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). However, implantable pressure-volume sensors are limited by measurement drift and hemocompatibility. Instead, estimator algorithms derived from rotary LVAD signals may be a suitable alternative.

Surface Coatings for Rotary Ventricular Assist Devices: A Systematic Review.

Rotary ventricular assist devices (VADs) are frequently used to provide mechanical circulatory support to patients suffering from end-stage heart failure. Therefore, these devices and especially their pump impeller and housing components have stringent requirements on wear resistance and hemocompatibility. Various surface coatings have been investigated to improve the wear resistance or hemocompatibility of these devices.

Design and fabrication of a nerve-stretching device for mechanotransduction of peripheral nerve fibers.

The potential of peripheral nerves to regenerate under the effect of axial tensile forces was not previously extensively explored due to the lack of capabilities of translating axonal stretch-growth to studies, until the development of a . The , which we have designed and manufactured recently, is a device that uses a controlled amount of axial tensile force (vacuum/negative gauge pressure) applied directly to a sectioned peripheral nerve to expedite nerve regrowth rate. Using this platform, a series of experiments was carried out to observe the effect of axial stretch on axonal lengthening.

Bridging larger gaps in peripheral nerves using neural prosthetics and physical therapeutic agents.

Peripheral nerve injuries are relatively common and can be caused by a variety of traumatic events such as motor vehicle accidents. They can lead to long-term disability, pain, and financial burden, and contribute to poor quality of life. In this review, we systematically analyze the contemporary literature on peripheral nerve gap management using nerve prostheses in conjunction with physical therapeutic agents.

Temperature Compensated Fibre Bragg Grating Pressure Sensor for Ventricular Assist Devices.

Rotary blood pumps may be used as ventricular assist devices (VADs) to support patients with end-stage heart failure-'rotary VADs'. Clinically, rotary VADs are operated at a constant speed which is set manually. Due to inadequate haemodynamic monitoring equipment outside of the hospital setting, device speed remains the same for weeks or months at a time, leaving clinicians in the dark, and patients vulnerable to harmful over- or under-pumping events.

Rapid Speed Modulation of a Rotary Total Artificial Heart Impeller.

Unlike the earlier reciprocating volume displacement-type pumps, rotary blood pumps (RBPs) typically operate at a constant rotational speed and produce continuous outflow. When RBP technology is used in constructing a total artificial heart (TAH), the pressure waveform that the TAH produces is flat, without the rise and fall associated with a normal arterial pulse. Several studies have suggested that pulseless circulation may impair microcirculatory perfusion and the autoregulatory response and may contribute to adverse events such as gastrointestinal bleeding, arteriovenous malformations, and pump thrombosis.