Journal of biomaterials applications
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For decades many investigations have been made on producing a pulsatile blood flow with an impeller pump. It has been foiled because of excessive hemolysis. Other investigators foretold that a pulsatile centrifugal pump is impossible in the near future, without increasing the complexity of the system remarkably. ⋯ This is an almost unique total heart at the present, it is driven by a single motor, the left and right pumps eject the blood simultaneously, and the volume equilibrium of both pumps is achieved naturally. The dream of producing a pulsatile blood flow with an impeller pump has come true. Doubtlessly, an impeller heart with simplicity, pulsatility, implantability, compatibility and reliability, will be a viable alternative to diaphragm heart, really.
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In order to prevent the complications accompanied with pulmonary-artery (Swan-Ganz) catheterization, we have developed an antithrombogenic coating, tradenamed Anthron. Anthron-coated thermodilution catheters show excellent antithrombogenicity due to continuous release of heparin from its surface to the blood stream in animal experiments. ⋯ All of Anthron-coated thermodilution catheters were completely free from thrombus formation and kept excellent sensing functions for more than 3 days, while in control catheters severe thrombus formations were found both on the surfaces of the catheters and blood vessels. The sensing functions of the control catheters deteriorated with passage of time because of the deposition of the blood constituents on the thermistor.