Non-invasive control of aortic pressure and cardiac output in a reciprocating pusher-plate artificial heart

摘要

An algorithm has been developed to control reciprocating pusher-plates of an artificial heart in a method that regulates cardiac output to maintain aortic pressure and maximize ventricular filling. A simulation of a total artificial heart (TAH) driven by a control algorithm was coupled to a windkessel model of the circulation to explore the range of the TAH as a function of systemic resistance. The results of this simulation were compared to an isolated natural heart using a time-varying elastance model of the ventricle. The simulation demonstrated the artificial heart controller to have a range of control of cardiac output in which it maintained aortic pressure at a desired level over a broad range of systemic resistance.