System and Method for Selecting the Proper Cardiac Assist Device for Achieving Improved Strain Profiles When Supporting the Failing or Arrested Heart

A method of selecting a cardiac assist device and testing said cardiac assist device in vivo, comprising;

• scanning a dysfunctional heart to obtain dysfunctional heart scan data;
• providing a selection of elastomeric components for a cardiac assist device;
• comparing said dysfunctional heart scan data to functional heart scan data;
• using initial differences between said dysfunctional heart scan data and said functional scan data to predict which of elastomeric components from said selection of elastic components would work best in said cardiac assist device to minimizes said initial differences;
• selecting elastomeric components from said selection of elastomeric components that are predicted to best minimize said initial differences and installing said elastic components into said cardiac assist device;
• placing said cardiac assist device in contact with said dysfunctional heart in vivo;
• operating said cardiac assist device in vivo;
• scanning said heart obtain updated differences between said dysfunctional heart scan data and said functional scan data;
• comparing said updated differences to said initial differences to determine if said elastomeric components in said cardiac assist device require replacement.

A method of selecting a cardiac assist device, comprising;

• measuring a dysfunctional heart to obtain physical characteristics embodied by said dysfunctional heart;
• scanning a dysfunctional heart to obtain dysfunctional heart scan data, wherein said physical characteristics and said dysfunctional heart scan data are used to determine a strain profile for said dysfunctional heart;
• providing a selection of cardiac assist devices;
• selecting an initial cardiac assist device from said selection of cardiac assist devices;
• placing said initial cardiac assist device in functional contact with said dysfunctional heart;
• scanning said dysfunctional heart while acted upon by said initial cardiac assist device to acquire an assisted cardiac strain profile;
• comparing said assisted cardiac strain profile to a standard strain profile of a functional heart to determine if said initial cardiac assist device requires replacement.

A method of selecting a cardiac assist device to act upon a heart, comprising:

• obtaining patient-specific cardiac strain data;
• accessing a library of predefined device strain profiles associated with a selection of cardiac assist devices;
• comparing said patient-specific cardiac strain data to said predefined device strain profiles in said library;
• and
• selecting an initial cardiac assist device whose predefined device strain profile best approximates a target myocardial strain profile.

A method of selecting a cardiac assist device, comprising:

• obtaining patient-specific cardiac strain data;
• accessing a library of device strain profiles associated with cardiac assist devices;
• comparing said patient-specific cardiac strain data to said predefined device strain profiles;
• and
• selecting a cardiac assist device having a predefined device strain profile that best approximates a target myocardial strain profile.