Premium
Are the Jarvik Artificial Ventricles Limited By Inflow Resistance?
Author(s) -
Lioi Anthony P.,
Nielsen Steven D.,
Olsen Don B.
Publication year - 1981
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 - 10.1111/j.1525-1594.1981.tb03973.x
Subject(s) - artificial heart , inflow , resistance (ecology) , cardiology , medicine , geology , biology , oceanography , ecology
ABSTRACT The pneumatic total artificial heart has been assumed to be inflow limited. Mock circulation studies on the Jarvik‐5 and Jarvik‐7 artificial ventricles seemed to support this assumption because a Starling's response comparable to the natural heart was not achieved. Unfortunately, mock circulation studies do not separate the effects of valvular regurgitation from inflow resistance. By using a simple filling tank, filling times were determined for the Jarvik ventricles that were a function of inflow resistance alone. Theoretical maximum cardiac outputs based on these inflow resistance‐dependent filling times were then calculated. For filling pressures around 5 mmHg and under modest diastolic vacuum of 5 cm H 2 O, the Jarvik ventricles yield a theoretical cardiac output as good as the natural heart's. Thus, inflow resistance is not a limiting factor and valvular regurgitation is left as the most likely cause of a less than optimal Starling's response on mock circulation and in vivo.