Lightweight Cardiac-Assist System

A third-generation cardiac-assist system has been designed as a permanent alternative to a heart transplant for patients suffering from heart failure.

The VentrAssist system, manufactured by Ventracor (Chatswood, NSW, Australia), is a third-generation left-ventricle-assist device (LVAD) system designed to provide patients suffering from heart failure with better quality of life. It can also be used as a bridge to heart transplant and possibly as a bridge to recovery, where it may allow a deteriorating heart an opportunity to recuperate. The CE Mark trial has been completed, and preparations are underway for a European market launch.

The system is comprised of a blood pump that connects to the left ventricle of the diseased heart to help the ailing heart's pumping function and has only one moving part -- a hydrodynamically suspended impeller. The impeller has been designed to have no wearing parts or cause blood damage. Additionally, the system has a fully redundant back-up motor drive, controller, and processor. It weighs just 298 grams and measures 60 mm in diameter, making it suitable for both children and adults. The implanted parts of the VentrAssist system use materials that are fully biocompatible, including titanium alloys, and its components are light, strong, non-toxic, and highly resistant to degradation within the body.

The company has announced that more than 50 devices have been implanted worldwide, and that it is the only company with a third-generation LVAD in clinical trials in the United States. The baseline results and cost effectiveness (BRACE) report will add to the body of evidence for the performance of the device in up to 10 new centers in Europe, in addition to the current Australian, New Zealand, and European sites.



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