Types of Ventricular Assist Devices
- HeartMate XVE
- VentrAssist LVAD
- Thoratec PVAD & IVAD
- CentriMag
- HeartMate II
- Jarvik 2000
- Abiomed Impella 2.5
Heartmate XVE
The HeartMate XVE Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) is implanted alongside a patient’s native heart and designed to take over the pumping ability of the weakened heart’s left ventricle. The HeartMate XVE is the only wearable, pulsatile LVAD available to patients who cannot tolerate systemic anticoagulation.
The HeartMate XVE (also referred to as HeartMate I) is one of the most widely used left ventricular assist devices in the world.. It is a pulsatile pump attached to the bottom of the left heart and pumps up to 10 liters per minute of blood throughout the body.
With its low thromboembolic risk, the HeartMate XVE can be used for either Bridge-to-Transplantation or Destination Therapy (chronic support for those ineligible for cardiac transplantation.)
More information on the Heartmate XVE
VentrAssist LVAD
The VentrAssist LVAD is a 3rd generation blood pump designed primarily as a permanent alternative to heart transplants for patients suffering heart failure.
It is a continuous flow or non-pulsatile blood pump that connects to the left ventricle of the diseased heart and delivers up to 8 liters per minute of blood flow to the rest of the body. A small, portable backpack is worn or carried on the outside of the body supplying power to the device and allowing patients to live at home and restore a better quality of life.
The VentrAssist LVAD is currently being studied for Bridge-to-Transplant and Destination Therapy.
More information on the VentrAssist LVAD
Thoratec PVAD & IVAD
Ideal for patients requiring extended left, right, or biventricular support. This VAD is pneumatic and thus requires the patient’s driveline to be connected to a special air compressor at all times. Right out of surgery and in the SICU the patient will be connected to the Dual Drive Console. Patient must have abdominal binder on at all times.
How it works:
The pulsatile Thoratec PVAD System works by allowing blood to flow from the natural heart to the PVAD, outside the body, through an implanted atrial or ventricular cannula. It then pumps blood back to the body through another implanted arterial cannula. The PVAD pumps are prosthetic ventricles consisting of a smooth, seamless pumping chamber enclosed in a rigid polysulfone case. The cannula is manufactured with Thoralon, a polymer base, which provides strength, flexibility and durability. A sensor, that detects when the PVAD is full of blood, triggers the ejection of blood from the pump. In the clinical setting, this sensor allows the PVAD pump(s) to automatically adjust its rate to pump faster during exertion and slower when a patient is sleeping, just as the natural heart does.
The Thoratec IVAD is an implantable version of the Thoratec PVAD and works in the same manner, however unlike the PVAD, the IVAD pump(s) reside in the patient’s chest cavity. Weighing less than a pound and utilizing the same internal components as the already approved Thoratec PVAD, the IVAD is one of the smallest implantable VADs available.
More information on PVAD & IVAD devices
CentriMag
The CentriMag (also known as Levitronix) is a temporary external VAD that can support the right or left heart or both. Designed for clinical use for up to six hours, the CentriMag can be used as a short-term solution for acute heart failure while longer-term options are considered, and is currently being studied for Post-Cardiotomy Recovery in patients unable to be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass.
The CentriMag is a continuous-flow, centrifugal-type rotary blood pump that is placed outside the body (extracorporeally). The continuous flow design means that the patient may not have a pulse. The pump is magnetically levitated and the rotor spins at 3000-4000 RPMs.
More information on the Centrimag
HeartMate II
The HeartMate II is an intermediate-to-chronic left ventricular assist device. Designed to dramatically improve survival and quality of life, the HeartMate II was developed with the goal of providing up to 10 years of circulatory support for a broad range of advanced heart failure patients.
Its small size and quiet operation make the HeartMate II suitable for a wider range of patients, including women and those of smaller stature.
This device is FDA approved for Bridge to Transplant and is still in clinical trials for Destination Therapy.
More information on the HeartMate II
Jarvik 2000
Held in the hand, the Jarvik 2000 Heart System is a pump is about the size of a C battery. Within its titanium shell sits a direct-current motor and a single moving part: a small, spinning titanium impeller that pumps blood from the heart at up to 7 liters per minute. It can be implanted through an incision in the breastbone (sternotomy) or through a less invasive incision along the rib cage (thoracotomy). The Jarvik 2000 augments the weakened heart's blood output to help restore a normal blood flow throughout the body.
Patients with this device can be discharged from the hospital while they wait for a suitable donor heart. This device is currently undergoing trails for Bridge to Transplant.
More information on the Jarvik 2000
Abiomed Impella 2.5
The Impella 2.5 is a minimally invasive, catheter-based cardiac assist device designed to partially unload the left ventricle thus reducing the heart’s workload and oxygen consumption. The Impella 2.5 can be inserted into the left ventricle in a Cath Lab through the femoral artery, into the ascending aorta, across the aortic valve and into the left ventricle. The tip of the catheter contains a “pigtail” that crosses the patient’s heart valve and rests in the left ventricle, generating flows up to 2.5 L/min.
More information on the Abiomed Impella 2.5
