Corvion LVAD

2021: Announcement of Corvion LVAD - left ventricular auxiliary blood circulation apparatus with wireless charging

In mid-February 2021, Corvion introduced a left-ventricular auxiliary circulatory device (LVAD) with wireless charging, which is designed for patients with severe heart failure waiting for a heart transplant. These devices can also be used in the short term to support patients who have undergone cardiac surgery.

LVADs are rotary pumps with rotating impellers that move blood from the left ventricle to the aorta through an artificial graft. The design is implanted pericardially and does not require connection to a power source. At the same time, the approved design is considered "wear resistant," since the impeller does not contact in the fixed body. This aspect is extremely important, because bearings with mechanical contact require regular washing with saline.

Left ventricular apparatus with Corvion LVAD wireless charging

The developers explained that they took the traditional design of an industrial pump as the basis for LVAD, in which efficiency is a decisive factor. By separating the engine from the impeller using a magnetic coupling, the developers were able to use a standard compact high-performance engine and optimize the rest of the system regardless of it. As a result, the new engine provides an efficiency of more than 85%.

LVAD manufactured by Corvion was called a "breakthrough device" and is being tested on animals, the results of which were unprecedented. The plasma concentration of free hemoglobin, which is a measure of blood cell damage, when LVAD Corvion was used, was practically not different from normal values. In addition, the pump does not produce microthrombs that can lead to stroke and infarction - serious side effects of conventional LVADs.^[1]

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