Archive for January, 2011

Cardiac Medical Equipment: What is the Difference between a C-Pulse and an LVAD?

Patients who have been diagnosed with severe heart failure will often choose to have a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implanted. These devices work well to keep the heart circulating blood throughout the body. On the other hand, a C-Pulse device can perform much of the same task without coming into contact with the blood. Rather than being an actual pump, the C-Pulse applies pressure to part of the aorta and promotes the circulation of blood without actually coming into contact with it.
Another advantage of the C-Pulse device is its ability to be disconnected by the patient. An LVAD is a permanent “fixture” in the heart and cannot be turned off. However, the C-Pulse is not exempt from its own problems. Because the cuff contracts about 70 times in a minute, this medical equipment could have long-term effects on the aorta or simply wear itself out. Another issue is that since the C-Pulse is only partially implanted, it is able to receive power and compressed air through a tube that is tunneled from the aorta to the abdomen under the skin. There, it connects to another tube that leads to an 8 lb. battery-pack and controller, which can be cumbersome.
LVADs also have an external pack, which means that neither device is very popular with patients, but the tube exposure of the C-Pulse medical equipment means a patient could be vulnerable to infection. What the C-Pulse avoids by not coming into contact with blood, it makes up for in patient infection risk from the tube exposure. As a result, many patients who use the C-Pulse device spend a lot of time swabbing and sterilizing the area where the tube extends from the abdomen. Still, the less invasive nature of the C-Pulse makes it more desirable for most patients than an implanted LVAD, and less intrusive on their lifestyle.

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Medical Equipment Update: Ventricular Assist Devices from Thoratec Approved for Use

The Heart Mate II by Thoratec is a new left ventricular assist device that has recently gained FDA approval by federal regulators. Like other LVADs, the Heart Mate II medical equipment is implanted into patients who have been diagnosed with severe heart failure, but cannot undergo a heart transplant surgery. This particular LVAD’s approval is significant because it is more than just a temporary “fix” until a transplant can occur; rather it is considered a long-term therapy for people with heart failure.

Another competing LVAD, known as DuraHeart, is still in the experimental phase of its development, but it has already been implanted into one 67 year old patient in Minnesota. It is made by a Japanese medical equipment company called Terumo Heart, which has U.S. offices in Michigan. Several other companies also have left ventricular assist devices in various stages of development, and these implantable heart pumps are expected to be more widely used in years to come. The increased success rate of LVADs in heart patients was widely publicized when an LVAD was used on former Vice President Dick Cheney. Interestingly, when a patient has an LVAD installed they no longer have a “pulse”. This is because a continuous flow of blood is generated by the pumps, which makes it harder to detect the beat of a patient’s heart.

Another medical device, known as the C-pulse, is for patients who aren’t quite ready for an LVAD or don’t want one. It is an implant that helps the left ventricle to pump blood throughout the body by providing a “counter-pulsation” effect. Surgical implantation of LVADs is a bit more complicated than a C-Pulse, as the device comes into direct contact with the blood. Patients who receive an LVAD must also take a blood thinner to prevent certain types of clotting.

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Robotic “Assistants” May Introduce More Hospitals to the World of Robotic Surgery

Over the past decade, countless innovations have been made in the area of robotic surgery. However, unlike other medical equipment on the market, robotic surgery is still a “luxury” in many hospitals. However, as robotic medical equipment becomes more widely used, industry analysts expect the price to be less prohibitive. Robotics may soon play a role in many routine surgeries as more medical equipment developers release automated solutions for non-surgical tasks, such as holding cameras, lights or telescopes in place during surgery.

One such controller is called the Freehand, and is made by Prosurgics, Ltd., a U.K. company that specializes in applying the same technology used in industry for use by medical professionals. With this laparoscopic camera, surgeons wear a special sensor that controls a robotic arm on the camera by using foot pedals and head movements. Typically used in minimally invasive surgical procedures like gallbladder surgery and hysterectomies, this type of device improves accuracy and saves time for basic operations.

Unlike more sophisticated and expensive robotic surgeons, the Freehand is priced at just over $20,000. Until now, the only options for surgical robots were made by companies such as Intuitive Surgical, whose da Vinci system debuted over a decade ago. Freehand works by assisting with the automation of tools, rather than entering the body, so while it competes in some ways with da Vinci; it doesn’t face the same hurdles in the R&D phase. For example, with the da Vinci surgical robot, surgeons are able to make keyhole incisions and perform more complex operations using robot-guided imaging. But with a price-tag of over $1 million, it is not a luxury that most hospitals can afford.

As more surgeons adapt to the world of robotics in smaller, less expensive ways, it is expected to pave the way for a wider use of robotic surgery medical equipment nationwide. While it may not be capable of actually performing the surgery, Freehand is expected to cut costs overall by limiting the number of people required in a surgical suite.

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