Cardiac support technologies

Aortic Assist

The AorticAssist project investigates cardiovascular autoregulatory mechanisms, soft robotic actuator design, and the clinical use of aortic counterpulsation. This research aims to improve the candidacy of counterpulsation as a long-term, out-of-hospital treatment option for heart failure patients and increase the efficacy of counterpulsation as a method of cardiac recovery. AorticAssist relies on benchtop methods such as mock flow loops, sensorised physiological phantoms, and 4D Flow MRI, as well as in-vivo and clinical studies to improve our understanding of the interaction between circulatory support and cardiovascular autoregulatory responses. These results are then used for data-driven design of novel soft-robotic counterpulsation actuators.  

Contact person: Kyle Mudge

Publications

Funded by:

Publications

K.R. Mudge, E. Perra, A. Kight, S.A. Dual. Biomimetic aortic phantoms with artificial baroreceptor sensors. IEEE RoboSoft 2025. Extended abstract accepted for presentation.

K.R. Mudge, E. Perra, S.A. Dual. Parameterised aortic arch dimensions for flow studies. European Society of Biomechanics, 2024.

 

Electrically-drive soft robotic blood flow support to the lungs

Post-operative failure of the right side of the heart is a major complication in cardiac surgery. Inspired by my PostDoc project on extra-vascular compression device, we developed a similar counter-pulsation device for augmenting blood flow to the lungs. A critical extension was the electro-pneumatic actuation approach which holds the potential for transcutaneous power transmission, reducing current electric driveline complications.

 

Publications

I. Pirozzi, A. Kight, A. Kyungwon Han, R. Cutkosky, S.A. Dual. Circulatory Support: Artificial Muscles for the Future of Cardiovascular Assist Devices. Advanced Materials, adma.202210713

I. Pirozzi1, A. Kight, X. Liang, A. Kyungwon Han, D.B. Ennis, W. Hiesinger, S.A. Dual, and M. Cutkosky. Electrohydraulic Vascular Compression device (e-VaC) with integrated sensing and controls: towards adaptive hemodynamic support of the pulmonary circulation. Advanced Materials Technologies. 2201196, 2022.

 

In collaboration with Prof. Mark Cutkosky, Stanford University

 

Soft robotic cardiac assist device for the forgotten halt of heart failure patients

No effective treatment for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is available at present. HFpEF is characterized by a pathological reduction in heart compliance, which impairs the ability of the heart to fill properly and results in low cardiac efficacy. I developed a soft robotic cardiac assist device, which wraps around the aorta and reduces the pressures seen by the heart in a counter-pulsation way. Soft robotic actuators allow the device to smoothly conform to the native vasculature and will enable the miniaturization of the device for minimally invasive implantation. In the first step, the device is tested in vitro to prove pressure reduction and effects on flow fields using imaging. In the second step, an in-vivo study in pigs determines if the cardiac output of a living heart could be increased through the soft robotic cardiac assist device.

 

Publications

S. A. Dual, R. Shad, M. Arduini, A. Kight, I. Pirozzi, R. Fong, I. Chen, W. Hiesinger, D. Ennis An extra-aortic soft robotic cardiac support device: Patient-specific in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation, European society of artificial organs, 2023.

S.A. Dual, M. Arduini, B. Schmittlein, J. Zimmermann, E. Roche, D.B. Ennis. Evaluation of operation pressure of a soft robotic extra-aortic cardiac assist device using MRI. International Society of Magnetic Resonance Imaging 2022. (Rapid-Fire)

 

M. Arduini, J. Pham, A. Marsden, I.Y. Chen, D.B. Ennis S.A. Dual Framework for Patient-specific hemodynamics in Heart Failure with Counterpulsation Support., Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, Aug 1:9:89529, 2022

 

Funded by the Swiss National Science in collaboration with Daniel Ennis and Alison Marsden both Stanford University.