France-based medical device company CorWave has completed the implantation of its left ventricular assist system (LVAS) in the first patient needing mechanical circulatory support.
The heart pump, featuring advanced wave membrane technology, was successfully implanted at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia.
The move represents a technological advancement after nearly three decades since the first durable rotary pump was introduced.
Inspired by the motion of aquatic animals, CorWave’s membrane technology, in development since 2012, aims to maintain the physiological balance of the cardiovascular system.
Unlike traditional rotary pumps, it synchronises with the heart to preserve its function and structure, adjusting blood flow based on the patient’s activity level.
CorWave’s technology aims to reduce complications, enhance patients’ quality of life by enabling more daily activities, and promote heart recovery in some patients.
CorWave CEO Louis de Lillers said: “We owe this moment to the trust of the patient, the excellence of the team at St Vincent’s, and the perseverance of our team, investors, and partners who have backed CorWave’s vision over the years.
“We look forward to writing a new chapter in circulatory support alongside the scientific and medical community, with the shared goal of significantly improving the lives of advanced heart failure patients.”
St Vincent’s Hospital cardiologist and principal investigator of the study Christopher Hayward said: “The entire medical team is impressed by the CorWave device’s performance. We’re very happy with the patient’s post-operative recovery. The results we’re seeing are very encouraging for the future.”
The first patient, who suffered from advanced heart failure, has shown positive results, meeting the primary endpoint of 30-day survival without device-related complications.
The patient reports significant improvement in his condition, no longer experiencing fatigue or shortness of breath, common symptoms of advanced heart failure.
The teams at CorWave and St Vincent’s Hospital have confirmed the device’s proper functioning and the patient’s successful recovery.
Further implantations are planned to evaluate the safety and performance of this technology as part of an ongoing clinical study.
CorWave and the medical teams are conducting the study in line with regulatory standards.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Paul Jansz said: “The surgical procedure is very similar to the implantation of the current generation of left ventricular assist devices.
“However, unlike the latter, this new generation system allows for the preservation of the natural pulse, which is potentially a game-changer. We could be opening up a new era of circulatory support.”
