Create

Design Project Gallery

Project Search
Search projects by keyword, program, course, or submission year.

CircuFlow: An Extracorporeal Device to Reduce Afterload During VA-ECMO

Project Description:

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a life-threatening condition in which the left ventricle (LV) cannot pump blood effectively due to impaired contractility. Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is a life-support technology that removes blood from the venous system, oxygenates it outside the body, and returns it to the arterial system for organ perfusion. VA-ECMO is often the only option for critically ill CS patients who cannot tolerate invasive procedures. Despite its benefits, VA-ECMO has a high mortality rate of nearly 60%, mainly due to increased afterload—the resistance the LV must overcome to eject blood. In patients on VA-ECMO, afterload increases due to continuous retrograde blood flow toward the aortic root. During systole, the compromised LV cannot expel residual blood against this higher pressure, causing blood stasis and LV distension. CircuFlow, a non-invasive device, reduces afterload during systole by creating pulsatile flow and alleviates LV burden, reducing downstream complications.

Project Photo:

Depiction of the VA-ECMO circuit, patient, and components, including the pump, oxygenator, cannulas, and CircuFlow device. The order of components is: (1) venous cannula, (2) centrifugal pump, (3) CircuFlow, (4) oxygenator, and (5) arterial cannula. All components are connected via tubing. A zoomed in image of the arterial cannula depicts how the continuous influx a blood from the arterial cannula increases afterload.

VA-ECMO circuit with the CircuFlow. Deoxygenated blood is drawn from the venous cannula and driven through the circuit via the centrifugal pump. After passing through CircuFlow, the blood is returned to the patient via the arterial cannula. CircuFlow is non-invasive and reduces afterload.

Student Team Members

  • Nina Nair
  • Ayan Vaishnav
  • Claire Chung
  • Gloria Kalnitskaya
  • Iris Kwon
  • Ramya Palani
  • Samantha Ho
  • Shreeram Sabareesan

Course Faculty

Project Video