Centrifugal Pump for Heart Implant

The design is the latest in pump concepts introduced to support patients with severe heart failure.

The surgery was performed at the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr University of Bochum. At present, the patient is recovering well. He is expected to remain at the Center for several weeks to regain strength before being released to his home. The successful implant represents the first of a series included in a multi-center clinical trial to support European market release of the device.

“The operation went off without any problems”, Prof. Reiner Körfer, MD, Medical Director of the Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW explained. “The patient is as well as can be expected in the circumstances and will spend the next few days under observation in intensive care.”

The DuraHeart is a third-generation LVAS engineered to overcome shortcomings of current and previously released implantable circulatory assist devices. Historically, these devices have demonstrated high rates of mechanical failure and patient complications – including blood clots and infection risks. DuraHeart is designed to minimize friction between moving parts using magnetic levitation to suspend and rotate the pump’s impeller. With no drive shaft to create heat and damage blood cells, Terumo Heart anticipates improved device durability and patient outcomes.

Terumo Heart, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Terumo Corporation with headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company’s focus is the innovation and introduction of products to improve the quality of healthcare for heart failure patients. Terumo Corporation, located in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading developer, manufacturer and global marketer of a wide array of medical products.