Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 May;28(5):845-862.
doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2021.11.016. Epub 2021 Dec 31.

Physiology and Clinical Utility of HeartMate Pump Parameters

Affiliations
Review

Physiology and Clinical Utility of HeartMate Pump Parameters

Mark N Belkin et al. J Card Fail. 2022 May.

Abstract

The HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is now the only centrifugal pump intended for durable support being actively manufactured and implanted for adults in the United States. The changes in preload and afterload that accompany common clinical scenarios experienced by patients with an LVAD will cause specific changes to the LVAD pump parameters, namely, the pump power, pulsatility index, and flow. Appropriate care of this unique, and growing, population requires a full understanding of these variables as well as the underlying physiologic principles governing their derivation. The aim of this review is to focus on the updated functionality of the HeartMate 3, specifically in comparison to the HeartMate II, as well as the application of pump parameter interpretation to common clinical scenarios.

Keywords: HeartMate; Left ventricular assist device; pulsatility index; pump parameters.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
A – HeartMate 3, B – HeartMate II, Green arrow Rotor drive power needed to rotate the rotor and generate blood flow, Blue arrows – Pump power going down Driveline to the pump, Red arrows – System Power going into the Controller from batteries.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
A – HeartMate II; B – HeartMate 3; Ovals – region of imprecise flow calculations.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Variation in pump power throughout cardiac cycle in relation to LVAD flow and aortic and left ventricular pressures.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Estimated Flow throughout Cardiac Cycle based on Power.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Variation in pump flow throughout cardiac cycle in relation to LVAD flow and aortic and left ventricular pressures.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
A – LVAD operating on the flat part of the HQ curve B – LVAD operating on the steep part of the HQ curve; DeltaP flow. AoP, aortic pressure; LVP, left ventricular pressure.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 7.
A – HeartMate II HQ Curve, B - HeartMate 3 HQ Curve.
Fig. 8.
Fig. 8.
Pump flow–pulsatility vs time. PI, pulsatility index.
Fig. 9.
Fig. 9.
Normovolemia HQ Curve with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 10.
Fig. 10.
Hypovolemia HQ Curve with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 11.
Fig. 11.
Estimated Flow vs Time.
Fig. 12.
Fig. 12.
Hypervolemia HQ Curve with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 13.
Fig. 13.
Normotensive HQ Curve with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 14.
Fig. 14.
Hypertensive HQ Curve with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 15.
Fig. 15.
Right Ventricular Failure HQ Curve with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 16.
Fig. 16.
No Aortic Insufficiency HQ Curve with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 17.
Fig. 17.
Aortic Insufficiency HQ Curve with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 18.
Fig. 18.
Cardiac Tamponade HQ Curves during Inspiration and Expiration with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 19.
Fig. 19.
Degree of Inflow or Outflow Obstruction and Associated Harmonic Oscillation.
Fig. 20.
Fig. 20.
Intra-aortic Balloon Pump HQ Curves during “On” and “Off” Modes with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 21.
Fig. 21.
High and Low RPM HQ Curves with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 22.
Fig. 22.
Cardiac Recovery HQ Curve with Associated Flows throughout Cardiac Cycle.
Fig. 23.
Fig. 23.
Summary of Differential Diagnosis Based on Pump Flow and Pulsatility.

References

    1. Miller LW. Left ventricular assist devices are underutilized. Circulation 2011;123:1552–8. - PubMed
    1. Kittleson MM, Shah P, Lala A, et al. INTERMACS profiles and outcomes of ambulatory advanced heart failure patients: a report from the REVIVAL Registry. J Heart Lung Transplant 2020;39:16–26. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ambardekar AV, Kittleson MM, Palardy M, et al. Outcomes with ambulatory advanced heart failure from the Medical Arm of Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (MedaMACS) Registry. J Heart Lung Transplant 2019;38:408–17. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Truby LK, Rogers JG. Advanced heart failure: epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapeutic approaches. JACC Heart Fail 2020;8:523–36. - PubMed
    1. Khush KK, Cherikh WS, Chambers DC, et al. The International Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation: Thirty-sixth adult heart transplantation report - 2019; focus theme: donor and recipient size match. J Heart Lung Transplant 2019;38:1056–66. - PMC - PubMed