A soft robotic sleeve mimicking the haemodynamics and biomechanics of left ventricular pressure overload and aortic stenosis

Advances in soft robotics have led to the development of high-fidelity simulators of pathophysiology for biomedical applications. An MCL was built using a pulsatile pump (SuperPump, ViVitro Labs), an anatomically accurate compliant silicone aortic vessel (E ≈ 1 MPa, United Biologics) connected to two adjustable compliance chambers (that is, ventricular, systemic), and a resistive valve. The models leverage haemodynamic mimicry and may facilitate the development of patient-specific applications. The models could also facilitate the clinical translation of treatments; in particular, a cohort of AS patients could be recapitulated in an in vivo porcine model, and new treatments could be evaluated preclinically.