Abstract
Fontan procedure is the final palliative surgical operation in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. After Fontan procedure, there is non-pulsatile flow in the pulmonary circulation. We have been developing the pulmonary circulation assist device for the Fontan circulation using shape memory alloy fibers. The device structure is mechanically contraction from the outside of the extracardiac conduit. For clinical application of the device, we have been also developing the animal experimental model for in vivo examination of the Fontan circulation assist device. In this study, we examined the hemodynamics change in the device driving the animal experimental model. The animal experimental model was constructed in four adult goats (45.8±15.6 kg). The right heart bypass of inferior vena cava to pulmonary artery was constructed by using extracardiac conduit, and the left ventricular assist device was connected to reduce of left ventricular load. The device could be mounted easily to the conduit in the thoracic cavity. The pulsatile flow could be generated in the pulmonary circulation by the device contraction. We performed the evaluation of the pediatric pulmonary circulatory assist device in the animal experimental model.
