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Biomedical subjects

D B Geselowitz

Publications and source records attributed to D B Geselowitz.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

An optimal controller for an electric ventricular-assist device: theory, implementation, and testing.

This paper addresses the development and testing of an optimal position feedback controller for the Penn State electric ventricular-assist device (EVAD). The control law is designed to minimize the expected value of the EVAD's power consumption for a targeted patient population. The closed-loop control law is implemented on an Intel 8096 microprocessor and in vitro test runs show that this controller improves the EVAD's efficiency by 15-21%, when compared with the performance of the currently used feedforward control scheme.

Computers↗
PubMed1992

The effects of metals on a transcutaneous energy transmission system.

The effects of metal objects on the mutual inductance, self-inductance, and effective series resistance (ESR) of the coaxial coils of a transcutaneous energy transmission system (TETS) were investigated theoretically and experimentally. The theory considers a thin conducting sheet of infinite size aligned parallel to a current-carrying coil. Results of the theory indicate that coil parameters vary with the distance from the sheet to the coil. Changes in mutual and self inductance are independent of the conductivity and thickness of the sheet, with a larger percentage change for mutual inductance than for self inductance. Changes in ESR are proportional to the surface resistivity of the sheet. Experimental measurements using several aluminum sheets and a titanium alloy can in the presence of the TETS coils used for the Penn State artificial heart showed excellent agreement with the theory for inductance parameters and agreed within a factor of 2 for ESR measurements when skin effect was considered. It was generally observed that mutual inductance drops to 65% of its initial value as a metal sheet is moved to within 1-2 cm of the coil, while self-inductance drops to 80% of its initial value when the sheet is 2 cm from the coil. Measured changes in ESR tended to be higher than the calculated values with the discrepancy depending on distance to the metal object. Theory and measurements were extended to the case of lateral misalignment of the coils.

Electric Conductivity↗
PubMed1991

Model studies of extracellular electrograms arising from an excitation wave propagating in a thin layer.

Extracellular potentials were calculated for a wave of activation propagating through a thin layer of tissue. Sources were represented on the basis of the bidomain model, with the observation point at the tissue surface. Calculated potentials were found to be insensitive to the length of the wavefront if it passed under the recording electrode provided its length exceeded 1 mm, but to decrease rapidly when the wave passed to a side of the electrode. Contributions of source regions with a lateral displacement from the electrode greater than about 0.3 mm were substantially diminished. The effects of the thickness of the layer and velocity of propagation on amplitude was investigated.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1991

Local blood residence times in the Penn State artificial heart.

Thrombus formation associated with cardiac assist devices is a major concern in their application. Thrombogenesis is thought to be a function of, among other things, fluid shear stress and blood residence time. In the current study, a fiber-optic probe was developed and employed in conjunction with indicator dilution techniques to evaluate the local near-wall fluid residence times at a number of locations inside the Penn State 70 cc parallel port and 100 cc angle port left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). In this in vitro study, both 50% and 30% systolic duration regimes were investigated for each chamber. Using a relatively inexpensive optical arrangement, two decades of dye concentration (10(-6)-10(-4) M of fluorescein sodium) were easily discernible. The washout process was characterized by an exponential decay with a time constant tau. For all positions and operating conditions tested, tau values were between 1-2 beats. In all cases tested, values of tau in the valve regions were significantly longer (8.9-31.6%; p less than or equal to 0.0075) than in the chamber proper. At every position tau was substantially lower in the 70 cc chamber than in the larger pump (17.8-27.4%). Systolic duration appeared to have no significant effect on tau at the majority of investigated sites. The results indicate that the valve regions, which are known to have greater shear stresses, are also in contact with a volume element of blood for a longer time than is the rest of the chamber. This combination may be detrimental to fragile blood components.

Blood↗
PubMed1990

Permanent circulatory support systems at the Pennsylvania State University.

Permanent circulatory support systems are required for patients in whom myocardial damage is irreversible and cardiac transplantation is not possible. Two systems are described which provide long term circulatory support: the left ventricular assist system and the total artificial heart. These systems are based on the design of a pusher plate actuated blood pump, driven by a small brushless dc electric motor and rollerscrew driver. An implantable motor controller maintains suitable physiologic flow rates for both systems and controls left-right balance in the total artificial heart. Other parts of the system include an intra-thoracic compliance chamber, transcutaneous energy and data transmission system, and internal and external batteries.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

An adaptive aortic pressure observer for the Penn State Electric Ventricular Assist Device.

This paper addresses the development of an aortic pressure observer for the Penn State Electric Ventricular Assist Device (EVAD). The observer estimates the aortic blood pressure by measuring the voltage of the electric motor and the pusher plate position. The estimated pressure is fedback to the EVAD's blood flow controller, which adjusts the beat rate of the device to accommodate the varying demand of cardiac output. The gains of the observer are deterministically optimized such that the optimal values are independent of the (often unknown) system state initial conditions. To improve the performance of the pressure observer an adaptation scheme is developed. In this scheme the initial pressure estimate of the succeeding systolic cycle is adjusted when the pressure does not match its corresponding second estimated value. In vitro test runs of the developed observer show that is is robust to parameter variations, and the error of the resultant estimated pressure is less than 5%.

Aorta↗
PubMed1990

A two-phase fluid volume compensation chamber for an electric ventricular assist device.

A volume compensation chamber is a device used to reduce large pressure fluctuations created in electric ventricular assist devices during the emptying and filling of the blood sac. In this study, the effect of motor casing pressure variation (pressure swing) on the performance of the Penn State electric ventricular assist device (EVAD) was investigated. Design criteria were established for the maximum pressure swing tolerated by the EVAD and the optimal mean chamber pressure at which to operate. At the chosen mean chamber pressure of -15 mm Hg, it was found that pressure swing should be maintained below 45 mm Hg. A two-phase fluid volume compensation chamber was developed that reduced the pressure swing enough to ensure adequate pump performance. The device consists of a metal chamber with a high-heat-flux porous coating applied to the inside surface. The chamber uses Freon as the working fluid and is isolated from the EVAD by a metal bellows. It was found that the high-flux coating significantly reduces the pressure swing, in some cases by as much as 50% when compared with an identical chamber with no coating. In the coated chamber the pressure swing was maintained between 22 and 30 mm Hg at a beat rate of 60 beats/min, for a wide range of Freon volumes (4-38 ml). Even at 100 beats/min the pressure swings obtained with the coated chamber are well within an acceptable range.

Chlorofluorocarbons, Methane↗
PubMed1988

Hot-film wall shear probe measurements inside a ventricular assist device.

Wall shear rates at eleven sites within the Penn State Electric Ventricular Assist Device (EVAD) were determined with the pump operating under conditions of 30 and 50 percent systolic duration and a mean flow rate of 5.8 L/min using a flush-mounted hot-film probe. Probe calibrations were performed with the hot-film in two orientations relative to the flow direction: a standard orientation and an orientation in which the hot-film was rotated by 90 deg from the standard orientation. The magnitude and direction of the wall shear stress at each site within the EVAD were estimated from ensemble averaged voltage data recorded for similar standard and rotated film orientations. The results indicate that, during diastole the wall shear stress direction around the pump's periphery for both operating conditions is predominantly perpendicular to the inflow-outflow plane (in the direction of the pusher plate motion) and reaches a peak value of approximately 350 dynes/cm2. The highest wall shear stresses were found near the prosthetic aortic valve (inside the EVAD) under the 30 percent systolic duration condition and are estimated to be as high as 2700 dynes/cm2. Peak shear stress values of 1400 dynes/cm2 were observed in the vicinity of the prosthetic mitral valve under both operating conditions. The results suggested that the valve regions are substantially more hemolytic than other wall regions of the EVAD; the magnitudes of the wall shear stresses are sensitive to operating conditions; and that wall shear in the direction of pusher plate motion can be significant.

Assisted Circulation↗
PubMed1987

An experimental study of Newtonian and non-Newtonian flow dynamics in a ventricular assist device.

The fluid dynamic behavior of a Newtonian water/glycerol solution, a non-Newtonian polymer (separan) solution, and bovine blood were compared in the Penn State Electrical Ventricular Assist Device (EVAD). Pulsed doppler ultrasound velocimetry was used to measure velocities in the near wall region (0.95-2.7 mm) along the perimeter of the pump. Mean velocity, turbulence intensity, local and convective acceleration, and shear rate were calculated from the PDU velocity measurements. Flow visualization provided qualitative information about the general flow patterns in the EVAD. Results indicate that water/glycerol does not accurately model the flow characteristics of bovine blood in the EVAD. The non-Newtonian separan solution produced results closer to those of the bovine blood than did the water/glycerol solution. Near wall velocity magnitudes for the separan were similar to those of the bovine blood, but the profile shapes differed for portions of the pump cycle. All three fluids exhibited periods of stagnation. Bovine blood results indicated the presence of a desired rotational washout pattern at midsystole, while results with the other fluids did not show this feature.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Pulsed ultrasonic Doppler velocity measurements inside a left ventricular assist device.

In this study we have employed a single channel, pulsed ultrasonic Doppler velocimeter to measure instantaneous velocity distributions within the pumping chamber of a ventricular assist device. Instantaneous velocities have been decomposed into periodic mean and turbulent fluctuating components from which estimates of Reynolds stresses within the chamber and mean shear stresses along the wall of the chamber have been obtained. A review of the complete data set indicates a maximum value of the mean wall shear stress of 25 dynes/cm2 and a maximum Reynolds stress of 212 dynes/cm2. These values are lower than those measured distal to aortic valve prostheses in vitro and are well below levels known to damage blood components. Core flow patterns, wall washing patterns and flow stagnation points are also revealed.

Assisted Circulation↗
PubMed1983

A bidomain model for anisotropic cardiac muscle.

Cardiac muscle is considered to consist of an intracellular domain and an extracellular or interstitial domain. Current passes from one domain to the other through the cell membrane. Electric potentials in interstitial space are shown to be associated with current sources proportional to the spatial gradient of the cellular transmembrane action potential, phi m. Hence, given the distribution of phi m throughout the myocardium, one can calculate the surface electrocardiogram and extracorporeal magnetocardiogram. The problem is considerably complicated when anisotropy is considered. If interstitial space is approximately isotropic, however, the sources are still proportional to delta phi m. It is shown that the effects of intracellular anisotropy on the surface electrocardiogram may be relatively small. The inverse problem is discussed briefly, with consideration of the relationship of the magnetocardiogram to the electrocardiogram. Finally, it is shown that if the heart can be considered to be bounded by a closed surface, then the value of phi m on this surface is uniquely related to the surface electrocardiogram to within a constant, provided there are no internal discontinuities. Such discontinuities, however, would be expected to occur in cases of ischemia and necrosis.

Biomedical Engineering↗