Effects of Varying the Output of a Mechanical Left Ventricle on the Circulation in the Dog

In this article, Freis and several members of the faculty at the Georgetown University Hospital reported on experiments they conducted utilizing a pump which replaced the left ventricle in dogs. The pump, a smaller and simpler alternative to larger pumps that replace the entire heart, allowed for independent pump rate and stroke volume, and thus could enable researchers to isolate the responses of the cardiovascular system to controlled changes in left ventricular output.