Pulsatile Blood Pumps with Autoclavable Pumping Head

Harvard Apparatus now offers Pulsatile Blood Pump models with an autoclavable pumping head, to better maintain sterility, as well as external voltage control models to make the testing of various heart valve and designs much easier.

Features of the new pumps include simulated ventricular action of the heart and an autoclavable pumping head. External control interfaces the blood pump with a computer to generate advanced cardiovascular waveforms and more control over pressure curves. Four models are available for research from mice/rats to larger animals.

Harvard Apparatus has been producing blood pumps for the past 50 years. The design has a proven track record for reproducing all aspects of the ventricular action of the heart for a wide range of animals while minimizing hemolysis.

Harvard Apparatus offers 4 separate versions from the Mouse/Rat model which can circulate up to 200 milliliters per minute, to the Large Animal model, which can circulate up to 10 liters per minute (used to simulate human capability).

The Pulsatile now offers the pumping head in polysulfone which is autoclavable. The standard models use acrylic which must be sterilized using ethylene oxide or other methods. This new material makes it much easier to maintain sterility.

Also offered is a new control method for the blood pumps. Normally the pump is controlled through a set of potentiometers; one controls stroke rate and the other controls the phasing between systole/diastole. Now the pump can be controlled from an external voltage source; 0 to 10 volt DC signal can be used to control the stroke rate and phasing of the pump. External control interfaces the blood pump with a computer to generate advanced cardiovascular waveforms and more control over pressure curves.

A computer can generate a particular cardiovascular profile and the pump creates that blood flow profile. Any abnormal heart rhythms or defects can be simulated at the blood pump. This makes testing various heart valves and designs much easier.

This new DC control feature works with data acquisition systems, controlling blood flow based on feedback from sensors. The new DC control version has a selector switch, which allows the user to select either internal or external control.