Advanced telemonitoring of Left Ventricular Assist Device patients for the early detection of thrombosis

To reach an earlier and more precise LVAD thrombosis detection, continuous LVAD monitoring is required. Because the LVAD does not provide an interface, an Electrocardiography (ECG) based approach is tested as an alternative monitoring to acquire LVAD data. The LVAD produces an electromagnetical field, whose signal is visible in the ECG. It is utilized to calculate the LVAD speed of 9 LVAD patients using the Fast Fourier Transform. An accuracy of 99.8% was achieved. As external events also influence the LVAD measurements, changes in body posture on the LVAD is tested. The results show that the amplitude, measured during supine position, is significantly different to the amplitude measured during sitting and standing.