Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40071567›Full record

ArticleArtificial organs2025

Design of a Soft Robotic Artificial Cardiac Wall.

Debora Zrinscak, Claudia M De Chirico, Lucrezia Lorenzon, Fabiola Coluccia, Mauro De Luca, Martina Maselli, Jolanda Kluin, Johannes T B Overvelde, Matteo Cianchetti

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Artificial organs, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. A Soft Robotic Model for Simulating Heart Valve Disease and Cardiac Interventions.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Debora ZrinscakThe BioRobotics Insitute and Department of Excellence of Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3644-0951
Claudia M De ChiricoThe BioRobotics Insitute and Department of Excellence of Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy.
Lucrezia LorenzonThe BioRobotics Insitute and Department of Excellence of Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy.
Fabiola ColucciaThe BioRobotics Insitute and Department of Excellence of Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy.
Mauro De LucaThe BioRobotics Insitute and Department of Excellence of Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy.
Martina MaselliThe BioRobotics Insitute and Department of Excellence of Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy.
Jolanda KluinDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Thorax Center, Erasmus MC Rotterdam, Rotterdam, GD, the Netherlands.
Johannes T B OverveldeAMOLF, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Matteo CianchettiThe BioRobotics Insitute and Department of Excellence of Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9016-8039

Funding

European Commission through the Hybrid Heart Project under Grant 767195
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn cardiovascular engineering, the recent introduction of soft robotic technologies sheds new light on the future of implantable cardiac devices, enabling the replication of complex bioinspired architectures and motions. To support human heart function, assistive devices and total artificial hearts have been developed. However, the system's functionality, hemocompatibility, and overall implantability are still open challenges.

methodsHere, the design of a soft robotic artificial cardiac wall is presented: the action of a bioinspired myocardium of pneumatic McKibben actuators in a double helix is coupled with an engineered passive and deformable endocardial layer made of silicone. The correlation between the helix angle of the actuators and the ejection fraction of the artificial cardiac wall was preliminarily studied with a simplified analytical model. A FEM model was introduced to represent the complex deformation of the endocardial layer during the actuation of the cardiac wall.

resultsExperimental tests report an ejection fraction of 68%, i.e., 77.2 ± 0.4 mL against 90 mmHg, satisfying the minimum physiological requirements and, therefore, proving the concept's functionality.

conclusionsThe conceived device paves the way for a new generation of innovative approaches where engineered bioinspiration might be the key to future artificial cardiac pumps that could support or even substitute the human failing heart.

Indexed as

Heart, ArtificialRoboticsFinite Element AnalysisHumansModels, CardiovascularProsthesis Designartificial cardiac wallcardiovascular diseaseheart failureMcKibben actuatorssoft robotics

Identifiers

PMID40071567
PMCPMC12269355

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.