Novel Solutions for Patient Monitoring and Mechanical Circulatory Support Device Control

Abstract

Monitoring of the interaction between the circulatory system and the pump is essential for postoperative and ambulatory care of VAD patients. VAD monitoring gives important information on hemodynamic changes, patient activity, pump performance, and potential problems. Progress in the fields of clinical monitoring, self-monitoring, and pump monitoring has reduced time from physiological onset of an adverse event to detection and ultimately intervention. Additionally, innovations from the past three decades in the field of automatic physiological pump control strategies show that it is possible to react to fine changes in patient’s hemodynamics automatically, resulting in even tighter pump integration of the VAD with patient’s hemodynamics.