Physicians from the department of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School have developed prototypes of cardioports to be used during a beating heart, image guided intra cardiac surgery for pediatric patients.
The successful deployment of this device will rely in minimizing the size of the cardioport through which the surgical tools must be passed. It is crucial to maintain clear imagery from the cardioport even while tools are being inserted into the device.
Current devices use a 4 millimeter diameter endoscope with a 70 inch field of view with a prototype plastic viewing window with which to monitor location, placement and deployment of surgical tools. The cardioport is inserted into the patient’s chest cavity and then into the chambers of the heart. The cardioport, or bulb, when inside the heart chamber is pressed against the inner wall of the heart. Researchers understood they needed to develop a transparent bulb that would displace blood and overcome any potential for absorption and scattering of light. The channel through which the bulb travels allows for insertion of the surgical tools. The new technology includes a hollow bullet-shaped transparent plastic shell and a second transparent plastic cylinder into which imaging devices are inserted.
The new devices improves function by reducing potential for blind spots caused because of misalignment of the highly curved sections of the plastic bulb. The goal of the redesign was to eliminate blind spots and improve accuracy for physicians which would heighten positive outcomes for the pediatric patient.
In addition to enhancing optical concerns, researchers also knew the cardioport tool channel had to ensure that minimal amounts of blood would travel up the tool channel. It was also important that no air bubbles were introduced during the insertion of the cardioport. Research and refinement of the cardioport continues as does the development of an even more compact cardioport and imaging system to benefit pediatric patients.
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