Comparative testing of pulsatile impeller total heart and sarns nonpulsatile roller as biventricular assist device in pigs.

A pulsatile impeller total heart was developed, which consists of two impeller pumps and a d.c. motor. As the motor changes its rotating speed periodically, both pumps eject the blood flow simultaneously. To evaluate its blood compatibility, the device and sarns roller pumps were compared in two series of acute biventricular assist experiments in four and three pigs, respectively. The experimental conditions were controlled to be as equal as possible. The experiments lasted 6 hours. Blood sampling was drawn preoperatively, at the beginning of the pumping and every 2 h postoperatively. Red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), platelets (PLT), hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (HB), free hemoglobin (FHB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured. The results demonstrated that there was no significant blood damage caused by impeller total heart and the clinically used roller, and that the pulsatile impeller total heart is suitable for chronic animal experiments.