Improving the hemocompatibility of centrifugal mechanical circulatory support devices at low flow rates.

Background: An innovative solution has been recently proposed for the treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), using a centrifugal mechanical circulatory support (MCS) device. We sought firstly to assess the hemocompatibility of the proposed device. HFpEF treatment requires the blood pump to operate at low blood flow rate (0.

Effect of Blade Thickness on Hemodynamics and Hemolysis: A Case Study of Pediatric Centrifugal Blood Pumps.

Blood pumps, critical components in ventricular assist devices and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation systems, are primarily evaluated based on their ability to minimize blood damage through optimized design. Despite extensive research, the impact of impeller blade thickness and the proximity of rotating and stationary surfaces remains insufficiently explored. This study presents a comprehensive analysis, combining experimentally validated numerical simulations with an advanced Lagrangian approach, to compare the hemodynamic and hemolytic performance of three centrifugal pumps.

Analyzing the impact of pulsatile flow on drug release from a single strut of a drug-eluting stent.

In this study, in-vitro experiments were performed to investigate the drug release from a single strut of a drug-eluting stent with respect to the systolic-diastolic flow and the continuous flow. Regarding, a test bench comprising a single strut and agarose gel as an arterial wall model was designed. The model chosen represents a large-scaled strut of a stent, to limit the effect of the geometrical shape of the stents on the drug release results.

An Overview of In Vitro Drug Release Methods for Drug-Eluting Stents.

The drug release profile of drug-eluting stents (DESs) is affected by a number of factors, including the formulation, design, and physicochemical properties of the utilized material. DES has been around for twenty years and despite its widespread clinical use, and efficacy in lowering the rate of target lesion restenosis, it still requires additional development to reduce side effects and provide long-term clinical stability. Unfortunately, for analyzing these implants, there is still no globally accepted in vitro test method.