HeartMate I
From Ganfyd
The HeartMate I left ventricular assist device is an electrically driven pulsatile blood pump of the pusher plate design, manufactured by the Thoratec Corporation. It is designed for long term support of the systemic circulation, and may be implanted for periods of a year or more. It is used for the purpose of bridge to transplantation, bridge to recovery, or destination therapy.The pump housing is implanted in the abdomen, in either a preperitoneal pocket or intraperitonealy. The inlet cannula is inserted into the left ventricular apex, and the outlet cannula ejects blood into the ascending aorta. The pump housing is lined with sintered titanium, on which a neo-intima rapidly forms, as a result of which the pump has a relatively low thrombogenicity. Patients implanted with this device generally do not need to be anticoagulated with warfarin, only aspirin is required.
