CCRG’s ICETLab: Innovation to save lives
INNOVATION TO SAVE LIVES
Cardiovascular disease is one of the biggest causes of mortality and morbidity in Australia and throughout the world. Our research is focused on improving mechanical circulatory support devices which can support blood flow in critically ill patients who rely on these devices to survive.
The use of these devices can be life-saving, bridging patients to more definitive therapies in acute illness (eg. temporary balloon pumps), and providing definitive therapy in chronic cases (eg. total artificial hearts).
CCRG’s ICETLab draws on computational, in vitro and in vivo facilities to develop mechanical circulatory support devices and remains interdisciplinary at its core, facilitating evaluation of clinical, engineering, and scientific challenges within a holistic framework.
2022 SNAPSHOT
Members: 10+
Trials and Studies: 5+
Awards: Several team members were recognised with the ‘ESAO-SAGE-Research Award’ for work supported by the TPCH Foundation.
PhDs awarded: 1
2022 HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE
We continued the development of an Intraventricular Balloon Pump. Progress included development of an in vitro test loop that will allow human blood to be pumped by an artificial pulsatile ventricle, and into which the intraventricular balloon is placed.
Other projects that continued in 2022 include: a ‘Fluid Dynamical Study of Pulsatile Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)’ study which encompassed various elements such as a Systematic Review of Pulsatile ECMO and the development of a Computational Fluid Dynamic Model.
We also continued our ‘Evaluation of Interspecies Blood Sensitivity to Mechanical Stresses’ study, undertaking several projects that have evaluated the biophysical and rheological properties of blood (and blood cells) from bovine blood donors, when compared with humans.
Our Systematic Review of Pulsatile ECMO has been written up as a manuscript entitled ‘Pre-clinical studies on Pulsatile V-A ECMO: a Systematic Review of the Literature’ and accepted for publication by ASAIO journal.
We congratulate group member Kristy Garrick on receiving her PhD for a project entitled ‘Development of a novel sutureless inflow cannula for ventricular assist device implantation’.
“Our aim is to improve the technology of existing mechanical circulatory support devices while expediting the development of novel devices to improve outcomes for the patients who rely on these devices.”
The article originally appear in The Prince Charles Hospital’s 2022 Research Report, published with thanks to the generous support of the Study Education Research Trust Account and The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation, via The Common Good. Full version available here.