Congenital heart disease affects thousands of infants every year. One the most devastating subclasses of this disease are single ventricle abnormalities, in which infants are born with one functional ventricle instead two. Although researchers have used traditional electromagnetic driven ventricular assist devices to aide patients, these technologies are too bulky for children and are limited by their inability to be miniaturized without loss in power density. Thus, the premise of this proposal is that the use of piezoelectric materials in a hydraulic pump offers an alternative to traditional electromagnetic VADs.
The novelty of the proposed research plan is the development of a novel small scale high frequency piezoelectric cardiac assist device that can be used as a power source to help children with single ventricle circulations.
The intellectual merit of this proposal is the development of a fundamental understanding of the relationship between piezoelectric materials operated at high frequency and small-scale pump components. The challenge here is to effectively transfer energy from the piezoelectric to a simulated human circulation without direct blood contact.
The broader impact of this proposed research is the interdisciplinary collaboration between engineers and doctors to develop devices specifically tailored for children and patients. This research also gives underrepresented students in high school and universities an opportunity to conduct research and develop mentor style relationships with faculty and graduate students at UCLA.
