University
of Leeds PhD student David Keeling shows the web material that will be
used in the development of the heart-assist device. The biocompatible
material, which is not rejected by the body, detects when the heart
wants to beat, and assists it by contracting and expanding
A new device could put the beat back into weak hearts – and free patients from
a lifetime of anti-rejection drugs.
Current
heart-assist devices suck blood from ventricles and expel it into
downstream vessels. While these have been successful in prolonging the
lives of heart patients, they come into contact with the blood stream
and hence require life-long drug therapy to suppress the immune system
and prevent blood clotting. In addition, many of these devices can
damage cells within the blood, increasing the chance of clots forming.
An
ingenious new device being developed by engineers at the University of
Leeds provides a less invasive alternative. The team has developed a
specially-woven web made from biocompatible material that will not be
rejected by the body.
The webbing wraps around the heart and,
therefore, does not come into contact with the blood stream. Inbuilt
sensors recognise when the heart wants to beat and trigger a series of
miniature motors which cause the web to contract – increasing the
internal pressure and assisting the heart to pump the blood around the
body.
The team consists of Peter Walker, who devised the
original concept, and Martin Levesley from the University’s School of
Mechanical Engineering, cardiac consultants Kevin Watterson and Osama
Jaber from Leeds General Infirmary and engineering PhD student David
Keeling.
“It’s a really simple concept that works in the same
way as when you squeeze a plastic bottle, forcing the liquid inside to
rise,” says PhD student David Keeling who has built a special rig to
test the device.
The device is currently a prototype, with the
team using a computer simulated model of the human blood flow circuit
coupled to David’s mechanical rig. The rig replicates the motion of the
heart within the simulation under different conditions, and allows the
team to test their web device.
The group is currently testing their latest prototype, in order to refine
design and assist strategies.
“We’ve been looking at finding the optimum timing to trigger and also length of
the compressive squeeze,” David says.
Once
perfected, the team intends to simulate the effects of different heart
diseases to gauge the potential success of the device.
Potential
uses for the device are huge. As well as offering support to people
suffering from heart and valve problems, the device could also be a
bridging aid to patients as they wait for transplants, providing them
with a better quality of life.
“Recent research has found that
with some heart diseases, supporting the heart for a short period with
an assistive device reduces the work-load on the heart and allows it to
rest and recover,” David says.
“Our device also allows for a
controlled relaxation of the heart muscle, which means that it’s being
supported throughout the whole heartbeat process. It’s the same as when
you pull a muscle in any other part of your body, rest can often be the
best therapy,” he added.
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