Research
Pulsatile LVAD
All human biological and physiological processes are based upon pulsatile blood flow. Patients who develop profound heart failure are often treated with Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD). All modern durable/implantable LVADs produce a continuous flow (CF) of blood based upon axial or centrifugal pump designs. Research shows CF devices may be associated with medical problems such as hemolysis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and aortic valve insufficiency. The goal of Pulsatile VAD project is to utilize a proprietary device being designed and developed at BRAHMA Labs that is capable of modulating the output from contemporary continuous flow LVADs to produce strong, mathematically accurate pulsed flow (PF) capable of mimicking the human heart beat.
Experiments, utilizing the Heartmate II LVAD device, show that a strong pulse can be generated with this simple and highly scalable technology.
Click here for more information on our LVAD related pulsatile flow research.
Portable Cardio-Pulmonary Support Device
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-sustaining intervention used to provide short-term cardio-respiratory relief to patients with severe cardio-pulmonary failure in a variety of settings including heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, trauma, inhalation injury, and infection. Current ECMO mandates its deployment with the confines of the hospital, typically in an operating room or intensive care unit.
At BRAHMA Labs, we are utilzing propietery technology designed at BRAHMA Labs to develop a novel, portable, cardio-pulmonary support device capable of being deployed by first responders in both civilian and military setting. This device would have a small footprint, be highly transportable, able to provide excellent gas exchange, and be capable of being applied and initiated by non-physician medical personnel in the field.
Wireless Energy Transmission
The vision behind wireless energy transmission is to ultimately power implantable LVADs and other implanted devices (i.e pacemaker, drug delivery devices, etc.) without the tethers of electrical cords. This energy will be harvested from a receiver coil embedded subcutaneously in a patient. Optimizing this technology to the point that it is reliable and highly efficient would make the percutaneous driveline unnecessary thus alleviating a large source of infections discomfort while vastly improving quality of life for individuals being supported with such devices.
A major emphasis of this project will be the design of “smart” wireless energy transmission devices. This will involve leveraging technology such as resonance between transmitter/receiver coils to maximize power transmission efficiency as well as utilizing proprietary technology being developed at BRAHMA Lab to help alleviate the reduction in efficiency of energy transmission associated with movement between transmitter and receiver coils.
More information on our wireless energy transmission research is available here.
Implantable Drug Delivery Device
We are working on developing a biocompatible, implantable device that offers highly controlled drug release into the body, which is regulated by a microcontroller. Moreover, once depleted the drug can be easily refilled, without ex-planting the device.
Liquid State Battery
This projects envisions the development of a battery which exists in a in a liquid state allowing for alternative routes for energy transfer for use in a variety of medical and non-medical applications.
Large Database Research
Working with large medical databases, we hope to answer important clinical questions related to end-stage heart and lung disease and its surgical treatment.