GALVANI-ICURe: A novel wireless power solution for artificial hearts

GALVANI is an innovative, biocompatible and advanced wireless power solution for cardiovascular devices. GALVANI can transfer high power wirelessly for an artificial heart pump, avoiding a percutaneous (skin piercing) cable and mitigate infections; recognised as a critical obstacle to the widespread adoption of an artificial heart pump due to the limitation of the existing power supply. Patients with heart failure (HF), presenting impaired efficiency of the heart as a pump. The Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), a mechanical blood pump, has significantly improved survival rates and quality of life for patients with advanced heart failure. It is estimated that there are about 26 million patients worldwide with HF issues (https://erp.bioscientifica.com). LVADs are used as a bridge to "heart transplantation" or "destination therapy" for HF patients. However, LVAD pumps require a relatively high operating power (5W to 40W), and the existing power supply methods in the clinical practice are via percutaneous drivelines. The drivelines pass through the skin from an external power supply and often develops skin infection. Driveline infection results in recurrent hospital admissions and life-threatening sepsis, LVAD failure and premature death. Our innovative advanced system technology eliminates the driveline and replaces it with a thin, compact, flexible, biocompatible, high-power wireless charging system transforming the LVAD patient's quality of life and improving outcomes.