In a revolutionary event in medical engineering, engineers… Massachusetts Institute of Technology Great progress has been made in creating a robotic replica of the right ventricle of the heart capable of simulating the complex process of beating and pumping blood as it occurs in a real heart, according to a blog on the institute’s website.
The innovative robotic version contains real heart tissue attached to balloon-like artificial muscles, allowing researchers to precisely control ventricular contractions while closely monitoring the functioning of its natural valves and other complex structures. The robotic right ventricle is also distinguished by its versatility and capabilities, as it can be adjusted to simulate a healthy heart or a sick heart.
The secret to incorporating real heart tissue into an artificial model lies in the tissue’s ability to preserve the natural complexities of the heart’s structure, which cannot be achieved artificially.
In the recent study, the researchers extracted a real right ventricle from a pig heart, then placed it under appropriate conditions by covering it with a layer of silicone to preserve its internal structure so that it could serve as an artificial lining for the heart muscle. Several balloon-like tubes were later combined to surround real heart tissue in positions that the team had previously determined through computational modeling to be ideal for reproducing ventricular contractions. By connecting each tube to a control system, the researchers were able to reach rates that mimic the real heart rhythm and movement.
To reach more accurate and detailed results, the team tested the ability of the artificial ventricle to pump by submerging it with a liquid whose viscosity was similar to blood. Because of the transparency of the fluid used, the researchers were able to observe and study the valves and internal structures to gain valuable additional dimensions about the performance and capacity of the model.
The artificial ventricular pumping tubes can also be adjusted to simulate different heart conditions, making it a versatile machine for studying common heart conditions such as arrhythmia, muscle weakness, and high blood pressure.
In fact, the potential application possibilities of the robotic right ventricle go beyond the scope of research and simulation. The team has succeeded in adapting the model to test various medical heart devices, by implanting annular devices of different sizes in the triple ventricular valve and manipulating the fluid flow rate, thus achieving known pathological conditions. Such as right heart failure or atrial fibrillation.
By simulating the dysfunction, the researchers were able to test the appropriate medical device and develop its capabilities, and this highlights the potential benefit for medical device engineers and cardiac surgeons to increase their capabilities and the ability of the medical machines used.
In the long term, those in charge of the work seek to achieve a similar achievement at the level of the left ventricle of the heart, which means obtaining a fully adjustable artificial heart, which will open countless new horizons.
