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A hemoperfusion column containing anionic exchange resin coated with a new polymer has been tested in vivo for blood compatibility. The hemocoagulative parameters, evaluated before and after the cartridge during hemoperfusion, did not show any significant alteration even as regards the number and the functionality of the platelets nor as regards a possible activation of the fibrinolysis process. On the basis of these results, the hemoperfusion system examined can be regarded as hemocompatible from the hemocoagulative standpoint.

Objectives: The magnitude and timing of Left Ventricular (LV) twist with respect to cardiac phases are essential to detect systolic and diastolic dysfunction, as recently shown by advanced imaging techniques. No implantable sensors are currently available to provide that phasic analysis of LV rotation over the cardiac cycle. We developed and evaluated in a sheep model an innovative implantable gyroscopic sensor for the continuous endocardial monitoring of both the amount and timing of cardiac rotation. Methods: In a sheep, a tip catheter gyroscopic sensor was inserted in the endocardium of the right ventricle apex. The detected signal (EndoTwist) was continuously recorded along with ECG, LV pressure (LVP) and its first derivate (LVdP/dt). EndoTwist was processed in order to obtain both cardiac rotation parameters (twist rate ω, apical rotation angle θ) and mechanical heart vibrations (MHVs) used to identify systole and diastole. Results: The detected EndoTwist signal clearly showed both a low-frequency component relating to cardiac rotation (ω, θ) and a high frequency component relating to MHVs. Identification of systole and diastole from MHVs was confirmed by comparison with LVdP/dt which was previously used to define the timing of the cardiac cycle. Conclusions: The new implantable sensor permits detection of cardiac twist dynamics (ω, θ) with respect to the entire cardiac cycle by means of MHVs recognition. This information, if confirmed in larger studies, has promising clinical implication for the monitoring of cardiac function in heart failure patients.

Emanuela Marcelli,1,* Laura Cercenelli,1,* Barbara Bortolani,1 Saverio Marini,2 Luca Arfilli,3 Alessandro Capucci,4 Gianni Plicchi5 1eDIMES Lab-Laboratory of Bioengineering, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; 2Ars Medica: Associazione Medico-Chirurgica Della Gallura, Olbia, Italy; 3Villa Laura Ospedale Privato Accreditato, Bologna, Italy; 4Abcardio Cardiological Center, Bologna, Italy; 5TRE ESSE Progettazione Biomedica S.r.l., Bologna, 40138, Italy*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Laura CercenelliLaboratory of Bioengineering, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, c/o S. Orsola Malpighi-Hospital, via Massarenti 9, Bologna, 40138, ItalyTel +39 0516364603Fax +39 0516364603Email laura.cercenelli@unibo.itBackground: Venous congestion can be quantified by central venous pressure (CVP) and its monitoring is crucial to understand and follow the hemodynamic status of patients with cardio-respiratory diseases. The standard technique for CVP measurement is invasive, requiring the insertion of a catheter into a jugular vein, with potential complications. On the other hand, the current non-invasive methods, mainly based on ultrasounds, remain operator-dependent and are unsuitable for use in the home environment. In this paper, we will introduce a novel, non-invasive device for the hospital, office and home assessment of CVP.Methods: After describing the measurement concept, we will report a preliminary experimental study enrolling 5 voluntary healthy subjects to evaluate the VenCoM measurements’ repeatability, and the system’s capability in measuring small elicited venous pressure variations (2 mmHg), as well as an induced venous hypertension within a pathological range (12÷ 20 mmHg).Results: The experimental measurements showed a repeatability of ± 1mmHg. The VenCoM device was able to reliably detect the elicited venous pressure variations and the simulated congestive status.Discussion and Conclusion: The proposed non-invasive VenCoM device is able to provide a fast and repeatable CVP estimate, having a wide spectrum of potential clinical applications, including the monitoring of venous congestion in heart failure patients and in subjects with renal and hepatic dysfunction, as well as pulmonary hypertension (PH) that can be extended to pneumonia COVID-19 patients even after recovery. The device needs to be tested further on a large sample size of both healthy and pathological subjects, to systematically validate its reliability and impact in clinical setting.Keywords: central venous pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, heart failure, non-invasive device, home monitoring, COVID-19, cardiovascular measurements