Noninvasive mechanical auxiliary circulation (NMAC): A general concept and the technological trends

Abstract

A series of noninvasive mechanical auxiliary circulation (NMAC) technologies, such as intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC), external counterpulsation (ECP), and anti-G suit, had been widely used to realize noninvasive intervention of human cardiovascular system for different purposes, such as treatments of cardiovascular diseases and protecting pilot from G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) during exposure to sustained accelerations. There are lots of similarities among these NMAC technologies, especially on aspects of hardware constitutions and their physiological effects. However, these technologies were almost independently developed in the past few decades. The similarities and differences were summarized on aspects of hardware constitutions and physiological effects of IPC, ECP and anti-G suit in this paper, and a general concept for NMAC technologies was proposed. This concept did not include a restrict definition, but generally focused on the physiological benefits, while any non-invasive mechanical methods that can achieve such benefits are welcomed. Trends for these typical NMAC technologies, especially about the strategies to realize personalized therapy or to meet new challenges, are discussed. This paper provided a unified perspective for non-invasive mechanical technologies aiming at cardiovascular benefits, and might inspire new technologies to be introduced in.