How the heart pump operates
1 The device has three parts: an electrically driven mechanical pump, an electronic controller and a power supply.
2 The pump is placed in the abdominal cavity, with one end attached to the left ventricle of the heart, the other to the aorta – the largest artery in the body.
3 Two external batteries, via a cable through the abdomen, supply the power for this pump. They are carried in a bag.
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4 The electrical controller, also in the bag, is a small computer-like component that adjusts functions of the pump, such as pumping speed.
5 The device takes blood from the left ventricle – the heart’s main pumping chamber – and pumps it into the aorta to be circulated throughout the body.