Ghost Cells for Mechanical Circulatory Support In Vitro Testing: A Novel Large Volume Production.

The aim of this work is to establish a large volume batch production system to produce sufficient volumes of ghost cells to facilitate hemolysis testing of mechanical circulatory support devices. A volume of more than 405 mL with a hematocrit of at least 28% is required to perform in vitro hemolysis testing of mechanical circulatory support devices according to international standards. The established ghost cell production method performed at the institute is limited to 3.

Mechanical properties of currently available left atrial appendage occlusion devices: A bench-testing analysis.

Endoluminal left atrial appendage occlusion is an emerging therapy to treat patients suffering from atrial fibrillation with contraindications against oral anticoagulation. Different occlusion devices have been introduced into the clinical setting while comparative studies between the devices are sparse. This in vitro study compares several endoluminal left atrial appendage occlusion systems regarding 2 mechanical properties: radial (RF) and tug force (TF).

Mechanical Performance of Two Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Systems: In Vitro Comparison of Tug Force, Radial Force, Sealing and Deformation.

The aim of this study was to establish in vitro bench-tests of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAo) devices regarding tug force, radial force and sealing capacity. Two LAAo devices, namely the WATCHMAN™ and the Occlutech, of three different sizes underwent testing in novel dedicated in vitro setups. Radial force was assessed in a commercial radial force tester.