Artif Organs 2018 May;42(5):473-475

Departments of Surgery and History, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

Artif Organs 2018 May;42(5):575-576

Division of Cardiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.

Artif Organs 2018 May;42(5):577-578

Division of Congenital Heart Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.

Artif Organs 2018 May 25. Epub 2018 May 25.

Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are an established therapeutic option for patients with chronic heart failure. Continuous monitoring of VAD parameters and their adherence to guidelines are crucial to detect problems in an early stage to optimize outcomes. A telephone intervention algorithm for VAD outpatients was developed, clinically implemented and evaluated. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 May 17. Epub 2018 May 17.

Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA.

Blood-membrane interactions can have a large impact on the performance of hemodialysis membranes, particularly for high flux membranes in which the membrane itself provides very low resistance to solute transport. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of exposure to serum on the solute clearance and convective sieving characteristics of high flux polysulfone (Optiflux F250NR), polyethersulfone (ELISIO-25H), and asymmetric cellulose triacetate (SOLACEA-25H) hemodialyzers using both vitamin B and a range of polydisperse dextrans. Zeta potential measurements were used to obtain additional insights into the changes in membrane surface properties. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 May 17. Epub 2018 May 17.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.

We present a comparison between three left ventricular assist devices (LVADs): HeartWare (HVAD) (HeartWare International Inc., Framingham, MA, USA), HeartMate II (HMII) and HeartMate III (HMIII) (Thoratec Corp., Pleasanton, CA, USA). Read More

Artif Organs 2018 May 17. Epub 2018 May 17.

Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Health Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Health Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.

The objective of this study was to evaluate a pulsatile extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) system in terms of hemodynamic energy generation and transmission under various pulsatile amplitudes, flow rates, and pseudopatient pressures in a simulated adult ECMO circuit. Surplus hemodynamic energy (SHE), a measure of the quality of pulsatility, was used to quantify pulsatile flow. The circuit consisted of an i-cor diagonal pump, an adult XLung oxygenator, a 21 Fr Medtronic Biomedicus femoral arterial cannula, a 23/25 Fr Sorin RAP femoral venous cannula, and 3/8 in ID tubing for both arterial and venous lines. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 May 17. Epub 2018 May 17.

Heart Center, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.

Patients with Down syndrome (DS) may have multiple medical issues that place them at risk for requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in pediatric patients with Down syndrome has been described, but minimal data exist for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in adults with Down syndrome. The goal of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and to determine if there were differences between adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients with Down syndrome that were alive (aDS) versus those that died (dDS) prior to hospital discharge. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 May 15. Epub 2018 May 15.

Department of Computer Vision, Data61 CSIRO, Canberra, Australia.

Tactile vision substitution devices present visual images as tactile representations on the skin. In this study we have tested the performance of a prototype 96-tactor vibrotactile using a subset of 64 tactors. We have determined the tactile spatial acuity and intensity discrimination in 14 naïve subjects. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 May 3. Epub 2018 May 3.

Innovative Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology Laboratory, Critical Care Research Group, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.

Although rotary blood pumps (RBPs) sustain life, blood exposure to continuous supra-physiological shear stress induces adverse effects (e.g., thromboembolism); thus, pulsatile flow in RBPs represents a potential solution. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 May 3. Epub 2018 May 3.

University College London - Institute of Cardiovascular Science, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Neurological complications in continuous flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) patients are the second-leading risk of death after multi-organ failure. They are associated with altered blood flow in the cardiovascular system because of CF-LVAD support. Moreover, an impaired cerebral autoregulation function may also contribute to complications such as hyperperfusion in the cerebral circulation under mechanical circulatory support. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 May 3. Epub 2018 May 3.

Department Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Cerebral oximetry using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) allows for continuous monitoring of cerebral perfusion and immediate treatment of hemodynamic perturbations. In configurations used in current clinical practice, NIRS optodes are placed on the patient`s forehead and cerebral oxygen saturation (ScO ) is determined in bilateral frontal cortical samples. However, focal cerebral ischemic lesions outside of the NIRS field of view may remain undetected. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 22. Epub 2018 Apr 22.

Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Health Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Health Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.

The objective of this study was to assess the hemodynamic properties of the i-cor ECG-synchronized cardiac assist system for off-label use as a short-term cardiac assist device for neonatal and pediatric patients and compare nonpulsatile to pulsatile flow with different amplitudes. The circuit consisted of the i-cor diagonal pump with 3 feet of ¼ inch arterial and venous tubing and a soft-shell reservoir, primed with lactated Ringer's solution and human packed red blood cells (hematocrit 42%). Trials were conducted with three different sets of cannulas (8-Fr arterial 10-Fr venous, 10-Fr arterial 12 Fr-venous, and 12-Fr arterial 14-Fr venous) with increasing flow rates at varying pseudo-patient pressures (40, 60, 80, and 100 mm Hg) and under nonpulsatile mode and pulsatile mode with pulsatile amplitudes 2000, 2500, and 3000 rpm at 36°C. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 22. Epub 2018 Apr 22.

Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Hemodiafiltration (HDF) during chronic renal replacement therapy (RRT) is a relatively new practice phenomenon, emerging over the last two decades. While the technological platforms utilized during chronic RRT are in many cases similar or effectively identical to conventional hemodialysis (HD), significant differences may emerge in daily practice. Several authors of this review moved practice site between the United States and the European Union and transitioned from an HD-based practice to predominantly HDF-practicing networks. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 19. Epub 2018 Apr 19.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Infection of the driveline or pump pocket is a common complication in patients with ventricular assist devices (VADs) and Staphylococcus aureus is the main pathogen causing such infections. Limited evidence is currently available to guide the choice of antibiotic therapy and the duration of treatment in these patients. Patients at the University Medical Center Utrecht who developed a VAD-related S. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr;42(4):466

Unit for Cardiovascular Imaging and Hemodynamics, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Catholic University of Leuven, Herestraat 49 box 7003 UZ Leuven, Belgium.

Artif Organs 2018 Apr;42(4):347-353

Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Health Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.

Artif Organs 2018 Apr;42(4):451-456

Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, -Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy.

The use of Berlin Heart EXCOR VAD (BH) is a validated therapy to bridge pediatric patients to heart transplant. Serial echocardiographic (ECHO) assessment of VAD patients is necessary to support patients' management. This work aims at developing an innovative strategy to evaluate the BH device functioning by ECHO and its interaction with the native heart in a pediatric population. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr;42(4):464-465

Department of Cardiac-, Thoracic-, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 18. Epub 2018 Apr 18.

Department of Cardiovascular Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) prosthetic valves have been widely used in clinical applications in Asian countries. However, these valves still have limits with regard to thrombosis, neointimal hyperplasia, restenosis, and valvar vegetation. The achievement of in situ endothelialization on implant materials is a promising way to overcome those limits. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 16. Epub 2018 Apr 16.

Department of Medical Scientific Affairs, B. Braun Avitum AG, Melsungen, Germany.

To date, single-needle (SN) hemodialysis (HD) requires a dialysis machine equipped with two blood pumps-one controlling arterial blood flow (Qb) and one controlling venous Qb. B. Braun has developed an innovative single-pump SN HD system. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 16. Epub 2018 Apr 16.

Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Hershey Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of nonpulsatile and ECG-synchronized pulsatile extracorporeal life support on coronary and carotid blood flow velocities using transthoracic echocardiography and vascular ultrasound, respectively. Nine adult swine were randomly separated into nonpulsatile (NP, n = 5) and pulsatile (P, N = 4) groups and placed on ECLS for 24 h using an i-cor ECLS system. Noninvasive transthoracic images of the left and right coronary artery and the left carotid artery were acquired at the pre-ECLS (baseline), 30 min, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h on-ECLS stages. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 16. Epub 2018 Apr 16.

Departamento de Ingenierías Química, Electrónica y Biomédica, DCI, Universidad de Guanajuato, UMAE T1, León, GTO, México.

The giant omphalocele (GO) represents a challenge for the pediatric surgeon in its management and wall abdominoplasty. Here, we report the outcome of a case in which a GO in a newborn patient was repaired with an implant derived from decellularized bovine pericardium crosslinked with oligourethane. The implantation time was extended for 6 months. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 16. Epub 2018 Apr 16.

Department of Chemistry for Materials, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan.

Ligament reconstruction using a tissue-engineered artificial ligament (TEAL) requires regeneration of the ligament-bone junction such that fixation devices such as screws and end buttons do not have to be used. The objective of this study was to develop a TEAL consisting of elastin-coated polydioxanone (PDS) sutures covered with elastin and collagen fibers preseeded with ligament cells. In a pilot study, a ring-type PDS suture with a 2. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 6. Epub 2018 Apr 6.

Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama City, Japan.

Retinal prosthesis or artificial retina is a promising modality of treatment for outer retinal degeneration, caused by primary and secondary loss of photoreceptor cells, in hereditary retinal dystrophy and age-related macular degeneration, respectively. Okayama University-type retinal prosthesis (OUReP) is a photoelectric dye-coupled polyethylene film which generates electric potential in response to light and stimulates nearby neurons. The dye-coupled films were implanted by vitreous surgery in the subretinal space of monkey eyes with macular degeneration which had been induced by cobalt chloride injection from the scleral side. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 2. Epub 2018 Apr 2.

Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Addenbrookes's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.

In renal transplantation, ischemia reperfusion injury impairs early graft function and can reduce long term graft survival. Hydrogen has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the effects of ischemic injury. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of hydrogen gas administered during reperfusion in a preclinical model of kidney ischemia reperfusion injury. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 2. Epub 2018 Apr 2.

CMC Center, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Osaka, Japan.

A bioartificial pancreas (BAP), in which islets of Langerhans (islets) are enclosed in a semipermeable membrane, has been developed to realize islet transplantation without the use of immunosuppressive drugs. Although recent progress in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) and embryonic stem (ES) cells has attracted attention owing to the potential applications of these cells as insulin-releasing cells, concerns about the safety of implantation of these cells remain. The use of the BAP has the advantage of easy removal if insulin-releasing cells derived from iPS/ES cells undesirably proliferate and form tumors in the BAP. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 2. Epub 2018 Apr 2.

Centre for Nephrology, UCL Medical School Royal Free, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

Increasing urea clearance by hemodialysis (HD) has not improved patient survival. Hemodiafiltration (HDF) has been reported to reduce cardiovascular mortality. HDF increases middle sized solute clearances. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 2. Epub 2018 Apr 2.

Tissue Mechanics Laboratory, Biomedical Engineering Department and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.

Clinical use of transcatheter aortic valves (TAVs) has been associated with abnormal deployment, including oval deployment and under-expansion when placed into calcified aortic annuli. In this study, we performed an integrated computational and experimental investigation to quantify the impact of abnormal deployment at the aortic annulus on TAV hemodynamics. A size 23 mm generic TAV computational model, developed and published previously, was subjected to elliptical deployment at the annulus with eccentricity levels up to 0. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 2. Epub 2018 Apr 2.

Department of Software Technologies, University of Žilina, Žilina, Slovakia.

Shear-induced hemolysis is a major concern in the design and optimization of blood-contacting devices. Even with a small amount of mechanical stress, inflammatory reactions can be triggered in the cells. Blood damage is typically estimated using continuum fluid dynamics simulations. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 1. Epub 2018 Apr 1.

Department for Surgical Research, General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Essen, Germany.

The concept of "controlled oxygenated rewarming" (COR) using ex vivo machine perfusion after cold storage was evaluated as tool to improve renal graft function after transplantation. Renal function after 20 min warm ischemia and 21 h cold storage was studied in an auto-transplant model in pigs (25-30 kg, n = 6 per group). In the study group, preimplant ex vivo machine perfusion for 90 min was added after cold storage, including gentle warming up of the graft to 20°C (COR). Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 30. Epub 2018 Mar 30.

Department of Surgery, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.

The benefit of bioprosthetic aortic valve over mechanical valve replacements is the release of thromboembolism and digression of long-term anticoagulation treatment. The function of bioprostheses and their efficiency is known to depend on the mechanical properties of the leaflet tissue. So it is necessary to select a suitable tissue for the bioprosthesis. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 30. Epub 2018 Mar 30.

Transplant Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.

Hypothermic machine perfusion (HPM) grants a better postoperative outcome in transplantation of organs procured from extended criteria donors (ECDs) and donors after cardiac death (DCD). So far, the only available parameter for outcome prediction concerning those organs is pretransplant biopsy score. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether renal resistance (RR) trend during HPM may be used as a predictive marker for post-transplantation outcome. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 30. Epub 2018 Mar 30.

Renal Department of Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.

Percutaneous insertion of peritoneal dialysis catheters is theoretically most preferred by nephrologists because of the advantages of bedside performing, surgery independence, and minimal injury over other procedures of catheter placement such as open surgical dissection or laparoscopic operation. However, blindly placing catheters in the percutaneous procedure brings the risk of catheter malposition or bowel perforation; this largely retarded it's implementation. We had previously developed a novel technique termed "Wang's forceps-assisted catheter insertion and fixation," which had been successfully applied in the open surgical catheter insertion and displaced catheter reposition in our center. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 30. Epub 2018 Mar 30.

Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan.

Anemia is a component of the pathological triangle in cardiorenal anemia syndrome and is a risk factor for mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome. This study assessed the predictive value of anemia for outcomes in critically ill patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. This retrospective study analyzed patients who received ECMO support at the cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit in the study institute between July 2003 and March 2012. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 25. Epub 2018 Mar 25.

Heart & Vascular Intensive Care Unit, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Health Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.

The objective of this study was to evaluate three commercially available ECLS systems with rotary pumps in terms of circuit pressure, pressure drop, perfusion modes, and hemodynamic energy transmission in a simulated adult cardiogenic shock model. One circuit consisted of a Cardiohelp system, which included a Cardiohelp console and HLS Module Advanced 7.0 tubing set with integrated centrifugal pump and oxygenator. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 25. Epub 2018 Mar 25.

School of Nursing; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

This study tested the applicability of the individual and family self-management theory (IFSMT) to self-management (SM) in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). From an existing data set, we extracted the following variables that correspond to IFSMT's conceptual dimensions: anxiety, depression, and cognition (context dimension); self-efficacy (SM process dimension); adherence and quality of life (QOL; outcome dimensions). Descriptive statistics and partial least squares path modeling procedures were used for data analyses. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 25. Epub 2018 Mar 25.

Graduate Program in Health Technology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a common tool that is used in clinical and laboratory experiments and can be combined with mechanomyography (MMG) for biofeedback in neuroprostheses. However, it is not clear if the electrical current applied to neuromuscular tissues influences the MMG signal in submaximal contractions. The objective of this study is to investigate whether the electrical stimulation frequency influences the mechanomyographic frequency response of the rectus femoris muscle during submaximal contractions. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 23;42(4):401-409. Epub 2018 Mar 23.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Koç University, Sarıyer, Turkey.

Clinical success of pediatric veno-venous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is associated with the double lumen cannula cardiovascular device design as well as its anatomic orientation in the atrium. The positions of cannula ports with respect to the vena cavae and the tricuspid valve are believed to play a significant role on device hemodynamics. Despite various improvements in ECMO catheters, especially for the neonatal and congenital heart patients, it is still challenging to select a catalogue size that would fit to most patients optimally. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 May 15;42(5):533-539. Epub 2018 Mar 15.

Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, University of Umeå, Umeå, Sweden.

We were encouraged to investigate the reasons for large amounts of foam observed in bloodlines during hemodialysis (HD). Foam was visible in the venous air trap within the Artis Gambro dialysis device. Estimates of the extent of foam were graded (0-no foam, 10-extensive foam) by two persons that were blind to the type of dialyzer used. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 8. Epub 2018 Mar 8.

Spotlight Technologies, Tel Aviv, Israel.

The aim of this study was to test the effects of kilohertz frequency alternating current (KHFAC) surface stimulation applied to the ulnar nerve on force and myoelectrical activity of the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscle. Eighteen healthy volunteers (age: 27.6 ± 7. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar;42(3):305-331

Artificial Organs Editorial Office, Painesville, OH, USA.

In this Editor's Review, articles published in 2017 are organized by category and summarized. We provide a brief reflection of the research and progress in artificial organs intended to advance and better human life while providing insight for continued application of these technologies and methods. Artificial Organs continues in the original mission of its founders "to foster communications in the field of artificial organs on an international level. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar;42(3):332-333

Department of Clinical and Surgical Oncology, Vet Cancer Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil.

Artif Organs 2018 Mar;42(3):334-335

Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, USA.

Artif Organs 2018 Mar;42(3):336-341

Sensory-Motor Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 7. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK.

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are a life-saving form of mechanical circulatory support in heart failure patients. However, VADs have not yet reached their full potential due to the associated side effects (thrombosis, bleeding, infection) related to the activation and damage of blood cells and proteins caused by mechanical stress and foreign materials. Studies of the effects of VADs on leukocytes are limited, yet leukocyte activation and damage including microparticle generation can influence both thrombosis and infection rates. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 6. Epub 2018 Mar 6.

Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of death all over the world. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation has shown a promising potential to recovery of ischemic heart disease due to their capability in differentiating into cardiac cells. However, various investigations have been performed to optimize the efficacy of cardiac cell therapy in recent years. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Mar 6. Epub 2018 Mar 6.

Medical and Toxicological Intensive Care, Hopital Lariboisiere, Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris, Paris, France, INSERM U1144, Paris, France.

Circulatory failure following cardiac arrest (CA) requires catecholamine support and occasionally veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vaECMO). VaECMO-generated blood flow is continuous and retrograde, increasing ventricular stroke work. Our aim was to assess the benefit of a device generating a pulsatile vaECMO flow synchronized with the heart rhythm lowering systolic vaECMO output on the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and pulmonary capillary pressure (Pcap) after CA. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 Apr 6;42(4):432-443. Epub 2018 Mar 6.

National Research University of Electronic Technology, Biomedical Systems Department, Zelenograd, Moscow, Russia.

In this work, the study results of an implantable pediatric rotary blood pump (PRBP) are presented. They show the results of the numerical simulation of fluid flow rates in the pump. The determination method of the backflows and stagnation regions is represented. Read More

Artif Organs 2018 May 6;42(5):549-559. Epub 2018 Mar 6.

Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Berlin, Germany.

Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) are being developed as oxygen and plasma volume-expanding therapeutics though their potential to promote oxidative tissue injury and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging combined with vasoconstriction has raised safety concerns. Therefore, we focused on these aspects during preclinical studies performed with the recently introduced hemoglobin microparticles (HbMP-700). Besides oxidative stress, we investigated possible vasoconstrictory influence of HBOCs as well as genetic toxicity. Read More