The Penn State Pediatric Total Artificial Heart

There is an unmet need for total circulatory support in infants on the waiting list for heart transplantation. Congenital defects and pulmonary dysfunction often require right heart support in addition to systemic support. Penn State is developing a pediatric total artificial heart (TAH) based on a 12 ml pulsatile VAD currently in preclinical testing. The TAH consists of independent left and right pulsatile pumps designed for orthotopic placement. An automatic control system ensures full-to-empty operation, estimates inlet and outlet pressures, and controls right pump output to safely limit left atrial pressure. A portable pneumatic driver has been developed. The TAH has been tested in a juvenile ovine model.