A new counter-flow heart pump being developed by researchers at Australia's Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is based on a double-output centrifugal model that pushes the blood in a counter direction to ensure correct flow through both sides of the heart.

"The counter-flow pump is a bi-ventricular assist device (BVAD), meaning it supports both the left and right sides of the heart simultaneously," said lead researcher and QUT associate professor Andy Tan. "But what's so groundbreaking is that it is the first device to combine the function of two pumps into one unit."

Current double-heart-pump technology requires the implant of two pumps that work independently, making it too bulky. The counter-flow pump has two independent impellers to simulate two pumps to augment the operations of the left and right ventricles. This allows the blood to flow at a higher delivery pressure as required by the left chamber of the heart, and a slower pressure as required by the right chamber.

Click here  for the full story.


Topics: