Development of a mock circulatory loop for in vitro tests of left ventricular assist devices

• Grant number: 12/01894-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: May 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Mechanical Engineering Design
• Principal Investigator: Chi Nan Pai
• Grantee: Ludmila Pacheco Bezerra
• Host Institution: Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas (CECS). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The human circulatory system is subject to various diseases. They accounted for 320.074 (29,01%) of deaths in Brazil in 2009. Most of them leads to a heart failure state, in other words, it loses the ability to maintain the blood flow of the rganism. Patients with severe heart failure need heart transplat. However, there is a lack of heart donors and many of them die in the waiting list. Aiming to solve the lack of donors, Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD) have been developed to assist the pumping function of the heart. To analyze the operation, durability and performance In Vitro of VADs, is necessary a mock circulatory loop that simulates the human circulatory system. The objective of this project is to develop a mock circulatory loop to evaluate VADs. The mock loop is going to be constructed according to the design of Hoshi et al, and used by the supervisor of this project during the doctorate degree in Japan. It is going to simulate the left atrium, by a open reservoir, assuming the hydraulic pressure constant; the left ventricle, by a pulsatile electromechanical pump; the aorta, by a hermetically sealed reservoir, to simulate the arterial compliance; and vascular resistance, by a screw clamp.(AU)