Scientific Report 2003-2004 - Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research ...

The Department of Biomedical EngineeringModel of the total artificial heartfrom the laboratory of WilliamSmith, D. Eng., P.E., Section ofBiomedical Devices14Continued from Page 13Fukamachi, M.D., Ph.D., supports the researchefforts of CCF’s Kaufman Center for HeartFailure, co-directed by Patrick M. McCarthy,M.D. (Department of Thoracic and CardiovascularSurgery) and James B. Young, M.D. (Departmentof Cardiovascular Medicine). The majorfocus is on cardiovascular dynamics of cardiacdevices and animal and bench testing of surgicalinterventions to treat heart failure. This groupfocuses on testing various devices, including oneto treat dilated cardiomyopathy by changing theshape of the left ventricle (Myosplint tm ) andcatheter-type ventricular assist devices (enabler tmand Impella tm ). Based on years of research intononpulsatile blood flow, the Cardiac Assist andReplacement Laboratory, headed by William A.Smith, D.Eng., P.E., is (a) developing a family ofblood pump devices (total artificial heart withinternal battery, ventricular assist devices rangingfrom long-term adult to miniature pediatricapplications—all based on MagScrew TM technology),(b) defining test methods to accurately/repeatably characterize them, (c) developing arational design philosophy for rotary bloodpumps’ performance, efficiency, size, lowhemolysis level and minimal deposition, (d) usingacoustic methods for diagnostic monitoring ofblood pumps, and (e) refining external supportpump systems, including an emergency cardiopulmonarybypass/extracorporeal membraneoxygenation system, funded by the Departmentof Defense, a catheter pump for minimallyinvasive surgery, and an external-use version ofone internal system. These efforts also involvework funded through the NIH’s Small BusinessInnovation Research mechanism.The rapidly evolving field of BioMEMSand Nanotechnology provides several diverselines of investigation. Aaron J. Fleischman, Ph.D.,and Shuvo Roy, Ph.D., use microelectronics,microfabrication and micromachining technologiesas enabling technology to improve medicaldiagnostics and therapies by reducing device sizeand cost. Their collaborative studies involveengineering micro-/nanometer-sized features fortissue engineering, protein analyses, assays, andcell interrogation; among the applications beingdeveloped are miniaturized versions of drugdelivery systems, transducers for ultrasoundimages, and in situ telemetrically monitoredpressure/temperature sensors for minimallyinvasive surgery/follow-up. Maciej Zborowski,Ph.D., investigates magnetic flow cell sorting forvarious diagnostic and therapeutic applications,such as rapid screening for cancer cells in blood orblood-forming stem-cell transplantation (withCCF’s Taussig Cancer Center) and in model cellsystems of human peripheral lymphocytes,cultured cell lines, and samples donated bypatients, such as bone marrow. Continuousmagnetic flow sorting is a high-speed, gentleprocess, with high specificity and high recoveryof sorted fractions via cell tagging (e.g., via aniron-doped polymeric nanoparticle developedwith Bar-Ilan University in Israel). Cell TrackingVelocimetry, developed with the Ohio StateUniversity, can analyze individual cell velocitiesof hundreds of cells at a time, yielding data aboutthe population average and dispersion, based onquadrupole and dipole magnetic fields, which cansort some 10 million cells/second with 70%recovery of target cells and be optimized forincreased fractionation resolution and speed. P.Stephen Williams, Ph.D., builds mathematicalmodels of field-flow fractionation usingquadrupole magnets. His work informs the designof devices for cell separation.Several BME investigators work in the areaof Cardiovascular Bioengineering in studiesof blood vessels and heart valves, especially ininteraction with implanted prostheses. Linda M.Graham, M.D., seeks to design longer-lived tissueengineeredvascular grafts. Her group investigates,at the molecular level, how smooth-muscle cells(SMCs) and collagen affect cell proliferation andingrowth into prosthetic grafts, including: 1) themolecular mechanisms involved in the posttranscriptionalregulation of collagen secretion bygraft SMCs, 2) the mechanism by which oxidizedLDL inhibits endothelial cell migration, and 3)the effect of hypercholesterolemia on endothelialcell ingrowth onto prosthetic grafts in vivo. ScottColles, Ph.D., focuses on the role of glutathioneperoxidase and lipid oxidation products in thedevelopment of vascular disease. Lipid oxidationproducts are thought to be major factors in theContinued on Page 15