Infective endocarditis and acute purulent pericarditis in a patient with hyperglycemia.

A diabetic patient was admitted to our hospital for infective endocarditis with acute purulent pericarditis and diabetic ketoacidosis. Echocardiography revealed attachment of vegetation to the chordae tendineae in the left ventricle and pericaridial effusion. The vegetation was enlarged and pendulated for a few days despite maximal antimicrobial therapy.

Simple right atrial procedure for chronic atrial fibrillation with atrial septal defect and aortic valvular regurgitation in an elderly patient.

A right atrial separation procedure was performed to eliminate atrial fibrillation (AF) during concomitant repair of an atrial septal defect and aortic valve regurgitation in an elderly patient. This procedure consisted of a Y-shaped incision in the right atrium, followed by cryoablation of the tricuspid annulus and the atrial septum. Only excision of the left atrial auricular appendage was performed in the left atrium.

Assessment of a new silicone tri-leaflet valve seamlessly assembled with blood chamber for a low-cost ventricular assist device.

We have developed a practical, low-cost ventricular assist device (VAD) comprising a newly designed blood chamber with a silicone lenticular sac and two silicone tri-leaflet valves (STV), made en bloc. This new VAD is seamless, can be made cost-effectively and assembled with the blood chamber and valve as one body. This novel design should reduce the incident of thrombus formation because of the absence of a junction at the connecting ring and because of the use of flexible silicone materials which have both antithrombogenecity and biocompatibility.

Eccentric roller type total artificial heart designed for implantation.

In the process of developing a completely implantable total artificial heart system, we have made an eccentric roller type total artificial heart and evaluated it by means of a mock circulatory system and by an acute animal experiment. The actuator of the artificial heart consists of 2 cylindrical drum type rollers which squeeze 2 blood chambers. The blood chambers are made of silicone rubber and are torus in shape.