1. Design and Prototyping a Heart Pump
Jacob Herman

2. Today’s Presentation
Goal: Give you the tools and background knowledge to fully understand the engineering, science, and biology behind heart pumps that are clinically used.
Questions – Please feel free to ask at any time
1st: Background, 2nd: Heart Pump Design

3. Background Personal and Bioengineering Programming and Mechanics
Pretotyping vs. Prototyping
Heart Anatomy and Defects

4. Background Personal and Bioengineering Programming and Mechanics
Pretotyping vs. Prototyping
Heart Anatomy and Defects

5. Personal Background Grew up in central New Jersey
Currently a Senior at Pitt studying Bioengineering
Bioengineering Summer Camp Counselor
Undergraduate researcher at the McGowan Institute in studying regenerative medicine of fertility diseases
Conducted research on aneurysms and coronary stents at the National University of Singapore
Going to industry – Clinical Cardiac Specialist

6. Bioengineering
Using science and engineering principles to understand the human body, replicate its intricate functions and repair/improve the defects
A recent engineering field that is rapidly expanding
Increasing prevalence of disease
Aging population with desire to extend life expectancy
Inclusive of Bio- informatics, mechanics, materials, and optics as well as tissue, cellular, genetic, neural, and pharmaceutical engineering

7. Background Personal and Bioengineering Programming and Mechanics
Pretotyping vs. Prototyping
Heart Anatomy and Defects

8. Programming
Converting a process into executable commands that a computer can process
Tools:
Breadboard
Circuitry: Resistors, Capacitors, Transistors, Switches, Inductors
Arduino/microprocessor

9. Mechanics Building a device requires many mechanical considerations
Feasibility (physical and financial), real world and computer interactions
Building medical devices requires even more mechanical considerations
Shelf life, biocompatibility, external/implantable

10. Background Personal and Bioengineering Programming and Mechanics
Pretotyping vs. Prototyping
Heart Anatomy and Defects

11. Pretotype vs Prototype
Most basic model made with cheap and accessible materials
Easily allows for quick failures and design flaws w/o losing $$$
Basis of a Prototype
Usually a minimum viable prototype (MVP)
Gradually is revised throughout the design process
Made from more expensive, final materials for testing

12. Background Personal and Bioengineering Programming and Mechanics
Pretotyping vs. Prototyping
Heart Anatomy and Defects

13. Heart Anatomy Four chambers Four valves
Right and left atrium
Right and left ventricle
Four valves
Tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral, aortic
Veins and arteries
Inferior/superior vena cava, pulmonary arteries and veins, aorta

14. Heart Diseases and Defects
Valve defects
Leakage from the valves, absent or tight valves at birth
Cardiac muscle defects
Cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Genetic defects
Hole in heart, congenital heart disease, A/V fibrillation
Age/heart disease
Coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction

15. Outline Heart Pump – What is it? Origins and Developments
Multidisciplinary aspects
“Benchtop to Bedside” Experiment

16. Outline Heart Pump – What is it? Origins and Developments
Multidisciplinary aspects
“Benchtop to Bedside” Experiment

17. Heart Pump aka ventricular assist devices (VADs)
Mechanical pumps used to support blood flow in people that have a weakened heart
The device takes blood from a lower chamber of the heart and helps pump it to the body
Doesn’t replace the heart, just helps to pump blood when the heart can no longer can

18. Outline Heart Pump – What is it? Origins and Developments
Multidisciplinary aspects
“Benchtop to Bedside” Experiment

19. Invention and Development of Heart Pump
Invented in the late 1950s and implanted for the first time in 1966 by Dr. Michael E. DeBakey
First successful long term VAD implantation by Dr. William F. Bernhard
First LVAD approved by the FDA in 1994

20. Outline Heart Pump – What is it? Origins and Developments
Multidisciplinary aspects
“Benchtop to Bedside” Experiment

21. Disciplines Involved in Design
Engineers
Biomedical, Mechanical, Electrical
Scientists
Biologists, Biochemists, Material Scientists
Doctors
Cardiologists, Surgeons, Electrophysiologists
Regulators
Institutional Review Board, Food & Drug Administration

22. Engineers Mechanical Electrical Biomedical
Design and interaction of moving components
Electrical
Power supply and electricity needed for long term use
Biomedical
Ensuring when the mechanical and electrical components are combined they will be compatible within the human body

23. Scientists Biologist/Biochemist Biomaterial Scientist
Study the heart anatomy and biochemical interaction of running blood through an artificial tube
Biomaterial Scientist
Study the compatibility of tubing, VAD, propeller, etc with internal organs, bodily fluids, and blood

24. Doctors Cardiologists Surgeons Electrophysiologists
Ensure that VADs actually restore healthy blood flow patterns
Surgeons
Must be able to have a safe and effective method of actually implanting the device
Electrophysiologists
Guarantee that the device will not impact normal electrical heart stimulation

25. Regulators
IRB
Every university has one to regulate the scientific experiments and activities of research laboratories
First stage to experimenting on a device
FDA
Regulates the devices that are allowed to be sold on the market
Safety and Efficacy

26. Outline Heart Pump – What is it? Origins and Developments
Multidisciplinary aspects
“Benchtop to Bedside” Experiment

27. Benchtop to Bedside
Benchtop: In the laboratory
Bedside: In the clinic

28. Experiment Create a VAD to implement on a pig heart Considerations
Mechanical construction
Electrical power supply
Biomedical/surgical implementation
Considerations
Size, Biocompatibility, Cost, Safety

29. References https://www.adafruit.com/product/64