Design of a Soft Robotic Artificial Cardiac Wall.

Abstract

Background: In cardiovascular engineering, the recent introduction of soft robotic technologies sheds new light on the future of implantable cardiac devices, enabling the replication of complex bioinspired architectures and motions. To support human heart function, assistive devices and total artificial hearts have been developed. However, the system's functionality, hemocompatibility, and overall implantability are still open challenges.

Methods: Here, the design of a soft robotic artificial cardiac wall is presented: the action of a bioinspired myocardium of pneumatic McKibben actuators in a double helix is coupled with an engineered passive and deformable endocardial layer made of silicone. The correlation between the helix angle of the actuators and the ejection fraction of the artificial cardiac wall was preliminarily studied with a simplified analytical model. A FEM model was introduced to represent the complex deformation of the endocardial layer during the actuation of the cardiac wall.

Results: Experimental tests report an ejection fraction of 68%, i.e., 77.2 ± 0.4 mL against 90 mmHg, satisfying the minimum physiological requirements and, therefore, proving the concept's functionality.

Conclusions: The conceived device paves the way for a new generation of innovative approaches where engineered bioinspiration might be the key to future artificial cardiac pumps that could support or even substitute the human failing heart.