Sunshine Heart uses DSM polymers and fabrication technology to perfect its heart assist device
Sunshine Heart wanted to develop a ventricular assist device to help the heart pump more effectively in patients with moderate to severe heart failure. Their C-Pulse® implantable device incorporates a balloon cuff that is placed around the aorta and inflates/deflates in synchronization with the patient’s heartbeat. They came to DSM to identify a biomaterial that would be an essential element in the balloon design, which needed to be extremely durable and able to maximize pliability for safe placement around the artery.
Solution
Sunshine Heart engineers relied on DSM - and our proven polymers and innovative technology - to come up with the right combination of polymers and a fabrication technique for manufacturing the balloon component of the heart assist device. The resulting product was cycle-tested for an equivalent of five years and demonstrated exceptional durability. A feasibility study of the C-Pulse was completed in 2011; initial reports indicate that patients experienced statistically significant improvement in heart failure classification and quality of life.
