Model based optimization of a novel ventricular assist device: Iterative parameter estimation and optimal control of physiological variables of a novel dual pump setup for left ventricular assist devices

This paper presents an optimization-based control scheme for a novel left ventricular assist device. This cardiac support system consists of two pumps connected in series and a buffer reservoir in between them. This novel concept for relieving the left ventricle is designed to allow the pre- and afterload on the heart to be explicitly adjusted and independently of each other. The first pump controls the preload of the heart with a known physiological controller. With an iterative model-based optimization, the afterload is minimized by the second pump while complying with all constraints. The proof of the control concept and a comparison to the classical single pump left-sided cardiac support is performed on a hardware-in-the-loop test bench. The results show that with the new left ventricular assist device concept, the afterload can be reduced compared to the classical cardiac support.