Harnessing skeletal muscle for circulatory support would improve on current blood pump technologies by eliminating infection-prone drivelines and cumbersome transcutaneous energy transmission systems. Toward that end, we have built and tested an implantable muscle energy converter (MEC) designed to transmit the contractile energy of the latissimus dorsi muscle in hydraulic form. The MEC weighs less than 300 g and comprises a metallic bellows formed from AM350 stainless steel actuated by a rotary cam (440C) attached to a titanium rocker arm (Ti–6Al–4V). The rocker arm is fixed to the humeral insertion of the muscle via a looped artificial tendon developed specifically for this purpose. The device housing (Ti–6Al–4V) is anchored to the ribcage using a perforated mounting ring and a wire suture. Lessons learned through seven previous design iterations have produced an eighth-generation pump with excellent durability, energy transfer efficiency, anatomic fit, and tissue interface characteristics. This report describes recent improvements in MEC design and summarizes results from in silico and in vitro testing. Long-term implant studies will be needed to confirm these findings prior to clinical testing.
Skip Nav Destination
e-mail: trumble@wpahs.org
Article navigation
September 2010
Design Innovations
Design Improvements and In Vitro Testing of an Implantable Muscle Energy Converter for Powering Pulsatile Cardiac Assist Devices
Dennis R. Trumble,
Dennis R. Trumble
Sr. Biomedical Engineer
Gerald McGinnis Cardiovascular Institute,
e-mail: trumble@wpahs.org
Allegheny General Hospital
, 8th Floor, South Tower (Room 803), 320 East North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212-4772; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Search for other works by this author on:
Marshall Norris,
Marshall Norris
Flexial Corporation
, Cookeville, TN 38502
Search for other works by this author on:
Alan Melvin
Alan Melvin
Surgical Energetics, Inc.
, Cincinnati, OH 45201
Search for other works by this author on:
Dennis R. Trumble
Sr. Biomedical Engineer
Gerald McGinnis Cardiovascular Institute,
Allegheny General Hospital
, 8th Floor, South Tower (Room 803), 320 East North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212-4772; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
, Pittsburgh, PA 15213e-mail: trumble@wpahs.org
Marshall Norris
Flexial Corporation
, Cookeville, TN 38502
Alan Melvin
Surgical Energetics, Inc.
, Cincinnati, OH 45201J. Med. Devices. Sep 2010, 4(3): 035002 (4 pages)
Published Online: September 8, 2010
Article history
Received:
January 22, 2010
Revised:
July 15, 2010
Online:
September 8, 2010
Published:
September 8, 2010
Citation
Trumble, D. R., Norris, M., and Melvin, A. (September 8, 2010). "Design Improvements and In Vitro Testing of an Implantable Muscle Energy Converter for Powering Pulsatile Cardiac Assist Devices." ASME. J. Med. Devices. September 2010; 4(3): 035002. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4002235
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
A Better Way to Visualize the Cervix: A Low-Cost Cervical Cancer Screening Device for LMIC Settings
J. Med. Devices (April 2025)
Comparative Survey-Based Study of Noninvasive Saliva Collection Devices
J. Med. Devices (April 2025)
Related Articles
Differential Translocation of Nuclear Factor-KappaB in a Cardiac Muscle Cell Line Under Gravitational Changes
J Biomech Eng (June,2009)
Differential Passive and Active Biaxial Mechanical Behaviors of Muscular and Elastic Arteries: Basilar Versus Common Carotid
J Biomech Eng (May,2011)
Development of A Medical Device for Quantitative Physical Therapies
J. Med. Devices (June,2008)
A Novel Combination Therapy for Post-Operative Arrhythmias
J. Med. Devices (June,2009)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Introduction and Definitions
Handbook on Stiffness & Damping in Mechanical Design
Mixed Mode Fracture Toughness Testing of Hydrogen-Charged 21Cr-6Ni-9Mn Stainless Steel and 2219 Aluminum
International Hydrogen Conference (IHC 2016): Materials Performance in Hydrogen Environments
Development of CSS-421™, A High Performance Carburizing Stainless Steel for High Temperature Aerospace Applications
Bearing Steels: Into the 21st Century