Slepian to head MicroMed's scientific advisory board
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
MicroMed Cardiovascular, the developer of the HeartAssist 5 left ventricular assist device (LVAD), has appointed Marvin Slepian as chairman of its scientific advisory board. Dr Slepian is the co-founder, chief medical and scientific officer and chairman of SynCardia Systems, the manufacturer of the world's first and only approved total artificial heart. Other members of MicroMed's scientific advisory board include Drs George Noon, coinventor of the HeartAssist 5, and Matthias Loebe, Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. The HeartAssist 5, also known as the Modern DeBakey VAD, is CE marked for both adult and paediatric use – in the US, it is approved only for paediatric use. The light-weight, miniature pump is one of the few devices of its kind that can be implanted above the diaphragm, adjacent to the heart. Unlike other LVADs, the HeartAssist 5 is said to be the only one that can offer precise, direct flow measurement.