Flow Pulsatility of Heart Pump: State Space Modeling and Control

Abstract

In this work, a physiological control strategy using full state feedback (FSF) control method is developed to drive mechanical circulatory support (MCS). This strategy is utilized a validated state space pump model to implement the controller and to track the desired reference flow. The developing strategy is assessed using a software model of the hemodynamical cardiovascular system interacted with left ventricular assist device in different physiological conditions ranging from rest to exercise scenarios. During these scenarios, heart failure disease simulates by changing the hemodynamical parameters of total blood volume, heart rate, cardiac contractility, and systemic peripheral resistance. The results are numerically observed during postural changes. The rate of change in physiological variables showed that the control method can track the reference pump flow with minimal error within acceptable clinical range to prevent suction with lower pump flow (3.35 L/min) and over perfusion with higher pump flow (5.2 L/min).