An Implantable Extracardiac Soft Robotic Device for the Failing Heart: Mechanical Coupling and Synchronization.

Journal: Soft robotics
Published Date: Sep 1, 2017

Abstract

Soft robotic devices have significant potential for medical device applications that warrant safe synergistic interaction with humans. This article describes the optimization of an implantable soft robotic system for heart failure whereby soft actuators wrapped around the ventricles are programmed to contract and relax in synchrony with the beating heart. Elastic elements integrated into the soft actuators provide recoiling function so as to aid refilling during the diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle. Improved synchronization with the biological system is achieved by incorporating the native ventricular pressure into the control system to trigger assistance and synchronize the device with the heart. A three-state electro-pneumatic valve configuration allows the actuators to contract at different rates to vary contraction patterns. An in vivo study was performed to test three hypotheses relating to mechanical coupling and temporal synchronization of the actuators and heart. First, that adhesion of the actuators to the ventricles improves cardiac output. Second, that there is a contraction-relaxation ratio of the actuators which generates optimal cardiac output. Third, that the rate of actuator contraction is a factor in cardiac output.

Authors

  • Christopher J Payne
  • Isaac Wamala
    Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
  • Colette Abah
    1 John A. Paulson Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • Thomas Thalhofer
    1 John A. Paulson Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • Mossab Saeed
    3 Boston Children's Hospital , Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Daniel Bautista-Salinas
    3 Boston Children's Hospital , Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Markus A Horvath
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
  • Nikolay V Vasilyev
    Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
  • Ellen T Roche
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
  • Frank A Pigula
    Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. walsh@seas.harvard.edu frank.pigula@ulp.org.
  • Conor J Walsh
    John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA. walsh@seas.harvard.edu.

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