To know the artificial heart(AH) pump function in-vitro is very important for the AH control after its implantation in animal. In general, the pump function is evaluated by the venous pressure sensitivity of pump output similarly to the Starling's law in natural heart and many mock circulatory system with changeable inflow water head has been developed. But in these system, no attention was paid for socalled venous return change and so, it is often experienced that the pump function tested by these system revealed different characteristics when it is implanted in animal.
Then, it is thought by authors that the response of pumping out ability for the venous return change instead of the venous pressure change i s the most important for the evaluation of AH pump function. A new in-vitro evaluation method of AH pump function was deyelped which is made up of open reservoir tank, roller pump, collapsible tube and sac, AH pump to be tested, compliance tank and peripheral resistance. In this system, the venous return is simulated roller pump output, and collapsible tube and sac simulate vein and right atrium respectively. The pump function is evaluated by the response of pumping out ability for the roller pump output change and it well simulate the characteristics of the pump in-vivo implanted state.
