AVAILABILITY:

The Levacor VAD™ is an Investigational Device. Limited by Federal (United States) Law to Investigational Use for a Bridge-To-Transplant Indication under an IDE Application. Not currently available outside the United States.

Overview

Levacor VAD™

MiVAD

Technologies

Levacor VAD™

How it Works

MagLev Technology

The Levacor VAD's magnetic levitation (Mag-Lev™) technology employs a unique combination of passive and active control. Other Mag-Lev™ blood pumps currently in development use active electromagnetic control for up to five axes of impeller position of tilt, with associated complex circuit and sensor requirements. The Levacor VAD's system uses passive, permanent magnet support in all of these axes but one. This patented hybrid (combination of passive and active magnetic control) design, with only a single axis of active control, yields a system of optimal simplicity, improved reliability, high quality of life, and high efficiency.

WorldHeart's MagLev™ technology uses a combination of passive suspension (using permanent magnets only) in four axes and active suspension (a single electromagnet) in one axis (See figure 1). Repulsive forces between permanent magnets imbedded around the bore of the impeller and within the central post of the lower housing passively control radial positioning along the x and y axes (See figure 1). Similarly, attractive forces between magnets imbedded around the periphery of the impeller and around the outside of the cavity in the lower housing passively stabilize the impeller for tilt around the x and y axes. Active control is required only to maintain the axial position of the impeller within the housing cavity (z axis). A single inductive, non-blood-contacting position sensor, used to determine the axial position of the impeller, provides the only control signal required by the levitation system.

Figure 1