The BiVACOR^® device has one moving part, the double sided impeller. The motor and magnetic bearings interact with permanent magnets embedded in the impeller to provide complete suspension and rotation, which supports the failing heart. De-oxygenated blood returns from the body (1). The spinning vanes propel the blood into the lungs, where it is oxygenated (2). Oxygen -rich blood returns to the pump’s left side (3) before being propelled through the aorta to the body (4).

The BiVACOR^® device has the unique ability to adjust the left and right outflow from each side of the device to match the requirements of the patient. It was the first of its kind to achieve this via an alteration in axial impeller position. More information about the device concept can be found here, in an article published in the Artificial Organs Journal in 2008. Information regarding the magnetic suspension system is located here, published in the IEEE Transactions in Biomedical Engineering Journal in 2010.

(a)	(b)
Figure 1: (a) Exploded view of the BiVACOR® device and (b) sequence of blood flow path through the device.