Abstract
The required specification for the design and development of the housing for a totally implantable artificial heart has become much more demanding over recent years. For ergonomic reasons, the shape will depend on whether the site of implantation is in the thorax or the abdomen. As well as ensuring biocompatibility and biostability, the device must also be impermeable to moisture and water vapor. Considering these requirements, as well as the availability of suitable materials, our research team has chosen to use titanium and its alloys for the fabrication of the housing. The early prototypes were made by means of the labor intensive wax molding process. The various molded parts were then assembled by welding the titanium housing together. The heat associated with this process altered the crystalline structure of the titanium, and led to modifications in certain properties which could have resulted in an increased risk of premature failure. An alternative approach has been to machine the housing out of one piece of titanium or titanium alloy by means of a computer controlled five-axis milling machine. This has improved the biodurability, but the increased cost of production is considered unacceptable. We have therefore used stereolithography (STL) to fabricate the housing. This technique has unabled us to move more quickly towards the design that best meets the ergonomic requirements of the totally artificial heart, and at the same time allowed us to validate the design on a mechanical bench test. Once the design is optimized, an STL model will be produced and this will be used to fabricate the titanium housing parts by the investment resin casting process. Following this, the housing will be polished and the surfaces will be treated to improve the corrosion resistance. This approach is proving to be both faster, more flexible and, at the same time, less costly.
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