Purge System for Implanted Blood Pumps

Mechanical circulatory assist devices are being developed for medium-term and long-term help to ambpatients with chronic heart failure, as well as for immediate temporary treatment of acute myocardiapostcardiotomy patients. In recent years there hash been increasing development of continuous flow bpulsatile devices in circulatory assist. Purge liquid has been supplied successfully to lubricate thseals that separate the blood and bearing compartments of implantable rotary blood pumps to minimizethrombosis, extending the operating endurance of the pump. In animal tests to-date, such purge liquifrom extracorporeal roller pumps through percutaneous tubes. There is a need for a wearable purge liand intermediate term use with rotary blood pumps that are implanted in cardiac patients. A design hminiature wearable reciprocating pump to deliver metered purge liquid to implanted rotary blood pumppresented for experimental evaluation of this design.