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Fine Trabecularized Carbon: Ideal Material and Texture for Percutaneous Device System of Permanent Left Ventricular Assist Device
Author(s) -
Tagusari Osamu,
Yamazaki Kenji,
Litwak Philip,
Kojima Akira,
Klein Edwin C.,
Antaki James F.,
Watach Mary,
Gordon Lisa M.,
Kono Kunihisa,
Mori Toshio,
Koyanagi Hitoshi,
Griffith Bartley P.,
Kormos Robert L.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1525-1594.1998.06152.x
Subject(s) - pyrolytic carbon , materials science , biomedical engineering , carbon fibers , implant , porosity , percutaneous , texture (cosmology) , composite material , surgery , computer science , medicine , chemistry , pyrolysis , image (mathematics) , organic chemistry , artificial intelligence , composite number
The development of a percutaneous artificial internal organ system requires a reliable biocompatible connection between the external environment and the inside of the human body. Such is necessary for the success of a permanent left ventricular assist device. However, the search for a satisfactory interface at the epidermal level has proven to be difficult. Carbon has been proposed for this application, but its texture does not typically promote ingrowth from surrounding tissue. We have therefore employed a new processing method to produce a fine trabecularized carbon implant. The method for preparing the implant involves infiltrating low temperature pyrolytic carbon into the surface of a carbon core which is wrapped with carbon fabric. This results in a tightly woven porous structure of carbon (carbon fiber diameter: 35–50 μm, maximal pore size > 200 μm) with gradually increasing porosity from 15–75%. We implanted test samples percutaneously in a calf for in vivo histological evaluation. Thirty days after implantation epidermal downgrowth was minimal. Microscopic analysis revealed that a thin fibrous capsule surrounded the implant, and mature connective tissue with accompanying blood vessels filled the pores of the fine trabecularized carbon layer. From these results we suggest that fine trabecularized carbon is ideally suited for a percutaneous device system in a permanent left ventricular assist device.