Motion Solutions for Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices

The heart is the center of the circulatory system, pumping blood throughout the entire body. Acute or advanced heart failure can temporarily stop the heart from pumping, which can impact the heart's ability to resume its normal flow once restarted. Other factors can also cause a reduced blood flow from the heart, requiring assistance. A key form of assistance is mechanical circulatory support devices, which help your heart function better, restoring the proper flow for short periods or for the duration of the patient’s life.

Short-term ventricular assist devices, also called cardiac assist devices, are sophisticated mechanical pumps that support the heart in pumping blood through weakened heart chambers. Temporary support is used for high-risk procedures, with a duration of hours; for recovery post-surgery; or as a bridge for transplant or other therapy, with a duration of days/weeks. These devices can be intracorporeal, where the motion drive unit is inside the body, or extracorporeal, where the motion drive unit is outside the body. Both types of devices require high precision Brushless DC Motors with maximum responsiveness to properly follow the sinus rhythm of the heart. The motors also provide high efficiency to limit losses during operation, minimizing the temperature rise of the device.