ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 16, 2005 – Biomedical engineers and physicians at the Cleveland Clinic have developed a new ventricular assist device (VAD) to treat end-stage heart failure in newborns and children.

The PediPump is a rotary dynamic VAD slightly smaller than a tube of lipstick. A status report appears in the July issue of the journal Artificial Organs.

"Historically, children have had few options for mechanical support of the failing heart," said lead researcher Brian Duncan, M.D., an associate staff member of The Children's Hospital at The Cleveland Clinic, Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery Division."The PediPump is an artificial heart pump designed specifically for children with heart failure.”

The device's basic components include an impeller and a motor with magnetic bearings. As the motor spins the impeller, blood moves from an intake on one end and out through vents on the side. The device comes in two versions. One uses conduits to attach to the circulatory system, much like conventional VADs, with an inflow conduit in the ventricle and an outflow conduit attached to the artery. In the second version, the inflow end of the pump is in the ventricle, and the outflow end in the artery.

According to the researchers, the PediPump moves blood efficiently and without causing too much damage to red blood cells.

Currently, the pump is implanted and powered by a wire through the skin. “At a later date, we will adapt technology from our work in the total artificial heart to make the pediatric system fully implantable,” said William A. Smith, D.Eng., an associate staff member in Cleveland Clinic's Department of Biomedical Engineering and co-inventor of the PediPump technology.

“It started as an adult minimally invasive surgery and partial assist device,” said Smith. “When Dr. Duncan launched a pediatric pump program here at the CCF, we were able to adapt the technology to his needs.”

Researchers say the versatile design of the PediPump will allow it to be used in a variety of clinical settings, and that tests with prototypes continue. “The experimental development of the PediPump and similar devices will give new hope to children with heart failure," said Duncan . The researchers add, however, that much study remains to be performed on the effects of pumping stresses on the blood and tissue of children and infants.

William Smith received a research grant from The Whitaker Foundation in 1995 to develop rotodynamic blood pump technology. The PediPump project is an outgrowth of the Whitaker project.

Contact:
Brian Duncan, The Cleveland Clinic
William A. Smith, The Cleveland Clinic
Mark Bowman, The Whitaker Foundation