Variable compliance chamber to alter pulmonary impedance

描述(由申请人提供)：在肺部疾病治疗期间，建议使用可变顺应性小室(VCC)来控制肺输入阻抗。肺阻抗与右心必须承受的总作功有关，在肺部疾病和氧合辅助装置植入时，它会改变(主要以顺应性降低的形式)；这种作功的增加可能导致右心衰竭。VCC可以附着在右心上，也可以与人工肺结合，以降低右室所见的阻抗。VCC的一个应用将是加强对患有原发性或继发性肺动脉高压的患者的桥接移植或康复治疗。在第一阶段，确定了柔顺室的最佳几何形状和材料，开发了制造技术，测量了室的柔度，并开发了两种改变室柔度的方法，并在体外电路中进行了表征。第二阶段的目标是构建一种临床上可行的VCC装置，并在活体动物模型中展示和充分表征其在控制肺阻抗方面的应用。在第二阶段结束时，将确定VCC的可制造性，并详细说明VCC作为一个独立设备以及作为一个增强MC3准心脏人工肺(PAL)性能的设备的体内性能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A variable compliance chamber (VCC) is proposed to control pulmonary input impedance during the treatment of pulmonary disease. Pulmonary impedance is related to the total work the right heart must pump against, and it is altered (primarily in the form of decreased compliance) in pulmonary disease and in the implantation of oxygenation assisted devices; this increase in work can lead to right-heart failure. The VCC can be attached to the right-heart or combined with an artificial lung to decrease the impedance seen by the right ventricle. One application of the VCC will be to augment bridge-to-transplant or recovery treatment of patients suffering from primary or secondary pulmonary hypertension. In Phase I, the optimal geometry and material of the compliant chamber were determined, fabrication techniques were developed, the compliance of the chambers were measured, and two methods for varying the compliance of the chamber were developed and characterized in an in vitro circuit. The objective of Phase II is to construct a clinically feasible VCC device, and to demonstrate and fully characterize its application in controlling pulmonary impedance in an in vivo animal model. At Phase II conclusion, manufacturability of the VCC will be defined, and the in vivo performance of the VCC will be thoroughly detailed as both an independent device, and as a device that augments the performance of the MC3 paracorporeal artificial lung (PAL).