XENIOS, a German firm, won the European CE Mark of approval to introduce the i-cor Synchronized Cardiac Assist System. The i-cor provides beat-to-beat blood flow augmentation, pushing with the heart’s own rhythm, the first system to do so. Almost all previously used heart assist devices provide continuous flow pressure, but the i-cor monitors the patient’s ECG and activates the pumping action along with that signal. It’s intended for use in patients suffering from cardiogenic shock as well as during high-risk interventions.
The technology is aimed at optimizing the efficiency of the cardiac assistance, improving organ perfusion, and reducing stress on the patients. Additionally, due to a reduced blood flow administered, the system uses a smaller endovascular cannula than before.
From XENIOS:
The Synchronized Cardiac Assist technology, which is based on a miniaturized pulsatile pump for physiological beat-to-beat cardiac support, combines myocardial protection and organ perfusion by assisting the weakened heart with synchronized pulses. With this ECGtriggered pulsation i-cor actively improves coronary blood flow and limits afterload compared with conventional methods
Pulsatile perfusion is natural and essential to endothelial function, which ensures adequate tissue perfusion in the organs. Maintaining organ function serves to prevent multiorgan failure and to improve clinical outcomes. Oxygenation and CO2 removal are integrated functions of i-cor. As a result, i-cor offers physiological circulatory support, protection and safety during interventions in the cardiac cath lab, and for the management of cardiogenic shock in the ICU and the cardiac cath lab.
Xenios info paper: i-cor…
Company press statement: XENIOS AG…