Magnetic Cardiac Assist Device

Principal Investigator: Neil Cambronero, MD

Challenge

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. While up to 45,000 individuals could benefit from a heart transplant, the donor pool is only around 2,000 per year, necessitating other solutions such as Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs), or heart pumps. Since most heart pumps are in direct contact with patients’ circulating blood, infection and blood clots are ever present risks. While blood thinners can counteract the clotting risk, chronic anticoagulation in turn increases the likelihood of bleeding complications.

Solution

The Magnetic Cardiac Assist Device (MCAD) takes a different approach by circumventing the blood device interface altogether and directly assisting the mechanical pumping of the heart through the innovative application of magnetic force. The MCAD avoids the need for anticoagulation therapy and does not require incisions into the heart or blood vessels in order to be placed in a patient. This device offers the potential to slow or reverse declining cardiac function and could delay or even obviate the necessity for a heart transplant in thousands of cardiac patients. 

Honors & Awards

Surgical Innovations Accelerator (Spring 2015)