ISMCS Overview

Transonic attended the International Society of Mechanical Circulatory Support (ISMCS) annual meeting held in Bologna, Italy, from 21-23 October 2019. There were approximately 400 meeting participants from around the globe, including thought-leading clinicians, researchers and device manufacturers.

As expected, VAD’s were the hot topic of the meeting. A recurring theme of the meeting was that technology advancements will be key to improving patient outcomes including life expectancy, physiologic status and quality of life. 

VAD Design Evolution/Trends

During the meeting, 11 VAD manufacturers were given the opportunity to discuss innovations in their product designs. Some of the noteworthy evolutions include:

• Elimination of drive lines that are a source of potential infection
• Less severe angulation and pump designs that minimize shearing
• Pulsatile versus continuous flow to mimic the body’s natural rhythms
• Active flow monitoring or periodic flow monitoring in combination with calculated flow
• Additional sensing capabilities that would provide valuable inputs relative to patient and device status

As VADs continue to evolve technologically, they are more closely mimicking the heart and circulatory system’s natural function. The ultimate goal is to efficiently deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells for metabolism and the removal of metabolic waste. This is why, at Transonic, we view flow, the amount of fluid passing a certain point during a defined time frame (mL/min or L/min), as life’s quintessential vital sign. Blood flow is life giving. When blood fails to flow, life ends. To measure is to know!