Introduction

The invention refers to a cardiac simulator aiming at faithfully mimicking the structural and functional behaviour of the cardiac ventricle. In particular, it is able to simulate local ventricular contraction and relaxation. The proposed system overcomes some of the drawbacks that simulators currently available on the market might have, and is compatible with X-ray imaging detectors used  for angiography.

Technical features

The conventional biomechanical simulators of the cardiac muscle do not provide analytical evidence related to the detailed mechanical behavior of specific areas of the ventricular chamber. The Heart String simulator is instead able to reproduce both the global and localized behavior of the muscular walls, recreating normal and pathological physiological conditions.

The innovative system allows the acquisition and analysis of physical parameters of the fluid that flows inside the cardiac simulator and compare them with the physiological ones. Moreover, it allows to perform in-depth assessments to determine the feasibility and, above all, the functional efficacy, of the implantation of biomechanical devices, aimed at correcting pathologies affecting the ventricles, such as, for example, dilatative pathologies.

Possible Applications

• Surgery;
• Learning tool for cardiovascular teaching and research;
• Development and test of new implantable devices.

Advantages

• Reliability: impartially assesses ventricular behavior, even if affected by pathologies
• Simplicity: consists of simple mechanical parts;
• Affordability compared to other existing simulators.