About this episode
By helping pumping blood, Ventricular Assist Devices during end-stage heart failure can prolong life. They can be implanted instead of a heart transplant or while waiting for a heart transplant. They may, however, come with some unwanted side effects, such as infections of a wound that doesn’t heal. The reason is that a cable connecting the Ventricular Assist Device to its power source must pass through the skin on the abdomen and remain there.This wound, a small hole in the abdomen, where the cable goes through the skin, would not heal and is therefore susceptible to infections that lead to hospitalization. Why?You’ll hear about it in this episode, as well aswhat Ventricular Assist Devices arehow a wound heals – from mechanical perspectivewhat are mechanical and biological properties of the skinwhat is end-stage heart failurewhat makes a skin-friendly cableand for what else could such a biocompatible cable be usedMy guest, Dr. Andreas Kourouklis, is a co-founder and the CEO of COSKIN. With a Ph.D. in biomaterials for biomedical applications he worked at Princeton University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before joining ETH Zurich.COSKIN is a Swiss startup that develops a biocompatible medical cable to support end-stage heart failure patients. Unlike today’s cables powering mechanical circulatory support systems such as VADs, it resembles human tissue and prevents infections. Go ahead and follow what they do athttps://www.coskindevices.com/Timestamps:00:00:00 Dr. Andreas Kourouklis and COSKIN00:01:20 What Is End-Stage Heart Failure?00:06:47 Current Treatment for End Stage Heart Failure: Ventricular Assist Devices00:15:02 Challenges Regarding VAD Insertion00:21:23 Developing a Biocompatible Cable00:40:28 Proving Compatibility with Ventricular Assist Devices00:49:15 The COSKIN Team00:49:59 Other Possible Uses of the Biocompatible Cable: Neurostimulators, Catheters, and More00:53:42 Thank You, Follow COSKIN00:54:24 Follow X-Health.show, Disclaimer If you've enjoyed listening, you'll make us happy by clicking "Follow" on X-Health.show and leaving a review.The information in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have any medical questions, please consult your healthcare practitioner. The opinions on the show are Alex's or her guests. The podcast does not make any responsibility or warranties about guests statements or credibility. While the podcast makes every effort to ensure that the information shared is accurate, please let us know if you have any comments, suggestions or corrections.
