Although heart transplant is the preferred solution for patients suffering from heart failures, cardiac assist devices remain key substitute therapies. Among them, aortic augmentation using dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) might be an alternative technological application for the future. The electrically driven actuator does not require bulky pneumatic elements (such as conventional intra-aortic balloon pumps) and conforms tightly to the aorta thanks to the manufacturing method presented here. In this study, the proposed DEA-based device replaces a section of the aorta and acts as a counterpulsation device. The feasibility and validation of in vivo implantation of the device into the descending aorta in a porcine model, and the level of support provided to the heart are investigated. Additionally, the influence of the activation profile and delay compared to the start of systole is studied. We demonstrate that an activation of the DEA just before the start of systole (30 ms at 100 bpm) and deactivation just after the start of diastole (0–30 ms) leads to an optimal assistance of the heart with a maximum energy provided by the DEA. The end-diastolic and left ventricular pressures were lowered by up to 5% and 1%, respectively, compared to baseline. The early diastolic pressure was augmented in average by up to 2%.

中文翻译：

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基于介电弹性体增强主动脉的新型软心脏辅助装置：一项体内研究

尽管心脏移植是心力衰竭患者的首选解决方案，但心脏辅助装置仍然是关键的替代疗法。其中，使用介电弹性体致动器 (DEA) 的主动脉扩张可能是未来的替代技术应用。由于此处介绍的制造方法，电动致动器不需要笨重的气动元件（例如传统的主动脉内球囊泵）并且与主动脉紧密贴合。在这项研究中，所提出的基于 DEA 的装置取代了主动脉的一部分，并充当反搏装置。研究了在猪模型中将该装置体内植入降主动脉的可行性和验证，以及对心脏提供的支持水平。此外，研究了与收缩期开始相比激活曲线和延迟的影响。我们证明，在收缩期开始前激活 DEA（100 bpm 时 30 毫秒）并在舒张期开始后（0-30 毫秒）停用导致心脏提供最大能量的最佳辅助数据包络分析。与基线相比，舒张末期压力和左心室压力分别降低了 5% 和 1%。早期舒张压平均增加了 2%。与基线相比，舒张末期压力和左心室压力分别降低了 5% 和 1%。早期舒张压平均增加了 2%。与基线相比，舒张末期压力和左心室压力分别降低了 5% 和 1%。早期舒张压平均增加了 2%。