Numerical Investigation on Preload and Afterload Sensitivity for Using Ventricular Assist Device on Heart Failure Patients

A left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a surgically implanted mechanical pump being used for patients with end-stage heart failure (HF). One of the significant clinical challenges in using LVADs is its remarkable changes in hemodynamic parameters during a change in body position from supine to standing. In standing position, vasodilatation of veins occurs in the legs, which decreases left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and, in turn, the preload to the LVAD. In this research, a numerical investigation is carried out to evaluate the effect of LVAD in cardiac hemodynamic parameters such as cardiac output (CO) and stroke work (SW) under preload, normal, and afterload conditions. A Proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller associated with an LVAD pump model and cardiovascular system (CVS) model is developed to study the cardiac hemodynamic and its performance during HF condition by changing system parameters in one cardiac cycle. The performance of the proposed model is ...