Heart Mate II Left Ventricular Assist Device
date: label: date made
content: about 2012
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: The HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD or VAD) is a continuous flow blood pump. It is surgically implanted below the heart and is connected by an inflow tube to the left ventricle. The outflow tube is attached to the ascending aorta. Its job is to help severely diseased hearts pump blood through the left ventricle of the aorta. The LVAD is powered by an external battery. The HeartMate II which received FDA approval for bridge to transplant status in 2008 is smaller than previous heart assist devices and can accommodate smaller statured people. The HeartMate II it is equipped with a portable battery pack allowing some patients to leave the hospital, live at home, and exercise. The HeartMate can be permanent, but in most cases it is a temporary device for patients waiting to receive a donor heart for transplantation. In rare cases the HeartMate II has allowed the patient’s heart to regain cardiac function. Victor Poirier was the founder and former President of Thermo Cardiosystems prior to its sale to Thoratec Corporation in 2001.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: California, Pleasanton
topic: label: Subject
content: Medicine
label: Subject
content: Cardiology
label: Subject
content: Surgery
label: Subject
content: Invention
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Thoratec Corporation
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2013.0017.01
label: accession number
content: 2013.0017
label: catalog number
content: 2013.0017.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: left ventricular assist device
label: Object Name
content: cardiology
label: Object Name
content: assist device, left ventricular
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: titanium; polyester (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall, as stored: 1 7/8 in x 12 in x 10 in; 4.7625 cm x 30.48 cm x 25.4 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 34.5 cm x 13.6 cm x 4.4 cm; 13 19/32 in x 5 11/32 in x 1 23/32 in