A novel system for continuous, real-time monitoring of heart motion signals.

Background: Understanding cardiac mechanics is important for developing cardiac therapies. Current modalities for assessing cardiac mechanics sample patient's heart at specific heart rate, contractility, preload, and afterload. The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of a novel system composed of intra-cardiac leads equipped with an inertial module chip (3D accelerometers and 3D gyroscopes) in monitoring continuous heart motion.

Transient decrease in PaCO(2) and asymmetric chest wall dynamics in early progressing pneumothorax.

Purpose: Diagnosis of pneumothorax (PTX) in newborn infants has been reported as late. To explore diagnostic indices for early detection of progressing PTX, and offer explanations for delayed diagnoses.

Methods: Progressing PTX was created in rabbits (2.

Ejection fraction in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction is greater than that in controls - a mechanism facilitating left ventricular filling and maximizing cardiac output.

The absolute value of ejection fraction (EF) in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is often observed to be greater than that in healthy, age- or risk-factor matched controls. Assuming this observation is true, we sought for a physiological explanation. It is hypothesized that an increased EF in HFpEF patients has a role in augmenting cardiac output (CO) especially during exercise.

Effects of synchronized cardiac assist device on cardiac energetics.

A novel physiological cardiac assist device (PCAD), the LEV RAM assist device, which is synchronized with the failing heart ejection, was developed to improve the failing heart systolic and diastolic functions and cardiac energetics. The PCAD uses a single short cannula, which is inserted into the beating left ventricle (LV) by means of a specially designed device. Blood is ejected from the PCAD into the LV after the opening of the aortic valve and augments the cardiac stroke work.

Augmentation of dilated failing left ventricular stroke work by a physiological cardiac assist device.

A novel physiological cardiac assist device (PCAD), otherwise known as the LEVRAM assist device, which is synchronized with the heartbeat, was developed to assist the left ventricle (LV) in chronic heart failure (CHF). The PCAD utilizes a single cannula, which is inserted in less than 15 s through the apex of the beating LV by means of a specially designed device. Blood is withdrawn from the LV into the PCAD in diastole and is injected back to the LV, through the same cannula, during the systolic ejection phase, thereby augmenting stroke volume (SV) and stroke work (SW).