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The purpose of this work was to investigate, using a lumped parameter model, the feasibility of increasing the pulsatility of a continuous-flow ventricular assist device (VAD) by implanting an active valvulated outflow cannula. A lumped parameter model was adopted for this study. VAD was modeled, starting from its pressure-flow characteristics. The valvulated outflow conduit was modeled as an active resistance described by a square function. Starting from pathologic condition, the following simulations were performed: VAD, VAD and valvulated outflow conduit in copulsation and counterpulsation with different ratios between the VAD valve opening rate and the heart rate, and asynchrony work with the heart with different VAD valve opening intervals. The copulsation 1:1 configuration and the asynchrony 0.3s-close-0.7s-open configurations permit to maximize the hemodynamic benefits provided by the presence of the active VAD outflow valvulated conduit providing an increase of arterial pulsatility from 1.86% to 14.98% without the presence of left ventricular output. The presence of the active VAD valve in the outflow conduit causes a decrement of the left ventricular unloading and of VAD flow and, that can be counteracted by increasing the VAD speed without affecting arterial pulsatility. The valvulated outflow tube provides an increase in arterial pulsatility; it can be driven in different working modality and can be potentially applicable to all types of VADs. However, the valvulated outflow conduit causes a decrement of left ventricular unloading and of the VAD flow that can be counteracted, increasing the VAD speed.

Hemorrhagic shock is a form of hypovolemic shock determined by rapid and large loss of intravascular blood volume and represents the first cause of death in the world, whether on the battlefield or in civilian traumatology. For this, the ability to prevent hemorrhagic shock remains one of the greatest challenges in the medical and engineering fields. The use of mathematical models of the cardiocirculatory system has improved the capacity, on one hand, to predict the risk of hemorrhagic shock and, on the other, to determine efficient treatment strategies. In this paper, a comparison between two mathematical models that simulate several hemorrhagic scenarios is presented. The models considered are the Guyton and the Zenker model. In the vast panorama of existing cardiovascular mathematical models, we decided to compare these two models because they seem to be at the extremes as regards the complexity and the detail of information that they analyze. The Guyton model is a complex and highly structured model that represents a milestone in the study of the cardiovascular system; the Zenker model is a more recent one, developed in 2007, that is relatively simple and easy to implement. The comparison between the two models offers new prospects for the improvement of mathematical models of the cardiovascular system that may prove more effective in the study of hemorrhagic shock.