10News KGTV, San Diego reports that the UCSD Medical Center is testing a new device for people with heart failure. The device is the Cancion CRS system of Orqis Medical Corp. (Lake Forest, Calif.), an extracorporeal, minimally invasive cardiac system, designed to increase blood velocity down the thoracic aorta. As a result, the system is thought to decrease cardic afterload and provide a circulatory boost:
The Cancion CRS therapy seeks to create a “rest-to-recovery” environment for the heart, providing an extracorporeal parallel circuit for improving aortic flow. It provides a continuous circulatory boost – increasing blood velocity and correcting the diminished aortic flow associated with severe heart failure. This minimally invasive therapy accesses only peripheral arteries and never directly connects to the heart, yet initial clinical work demonstrates that the therapy improves renal function, cardiac index and reduces heart failure markers such as BNP.
Patient safety and ease of use were paramount considerations in the design of the Cancion CRS therapy. The arterio-arterial circuit minimizes hemolysis and vessel trauma through the use of sophisticated medical technology. The Cancion system consists of two 12F percutaneous catheters, a sealed bearingless pump and motor, and control system…
By supplementing blood flow in the descending aorta, the CRS therapy is designed to reverse the consequence of abnormal aortic flow, inducing vasodilation and improving renal blood flow. Research data show hemodynamic improvement, reduced ventricular and atrial volumes and improved renal function. Data also indicate that the CRS™ cascade has a sustained effect after removal of the therapy offering the promise for potential therapeutic recovery.
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