BioE PhD Proposal Presentation

Date & Time: Thursday, December 5th, 2024, at 10: 00 AM

Location:

TEP 216E

https://gatech.zoom.us/j/92084021554?pwd=MjVaGgvEdTbKEouwlS3xn9Z5ZIlwa9.1&from=addon

Advisor: Dr. Lakshmi Prasad Dasi, PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Thesis Committee:         Dr. Rudolph Gleason, PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Dr. David N. Ku, MD, PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Dr. Arun Kumar Kota, PhD (North Carolina State University)

Dr. Ezequiel Jesus Molina, MD (Piedmont Heart Institute)

IMPACT OF SLIPPERY HYDROPHILIC FLEXIBLE MATERIAL AND STENTED INLET ON LVAD PERFORMANCE AND HEMOCOMPATIBILITY

Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of death, affecting approximately 6.7 million adults in the United States. Due to shortage of donor hearts, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become a standard treatment option for end stage HF patients. However, LVADs are associated with serious complications, including stroke, bleeding, and thrombosis, which negatively impact patient outcomes. This highlights the urgent need for a long-term, implantable LVAD that can address these challenges while accommodating the increasing patient population. This project aims to address critical gaps in current LVAD technology by introducing targeted innovations aimed at improving device performance and hemocompatibility. The approach focusses on three core objectives: (1) Flexible Rotor Blade Material: Understand the impact of flexible blades on the overall performance of LVAD prototypes (2) Slippery Hydrophilic (SLIC) Coating: Investigate the hemocompatibility of flexible blades with SLIC coating, aiming to minimize protein adsorption, thrombosis, and blood damage. Hemocompatibility will be assessed through metrics such as hemolysis, von Willebrand factor degradation, and platelet activation. (3) Stented Inlet Design: Evaluate the intraventricular fluid dynamics and stagnation zones using a stented inlet. These refinements will represent a paradigm-shift for next-generation LVADs, reducing complications and improving outcomes for heart failure patients.