Menu
Our Department

Our Department

The Cardiovascular Surgery Research Laboratories encompass a 20,000 square-foot facility with the capability to support a wide variety of experiments.

The laboratories are well-suited for device implantation, operative and postoperative care and the evaluation of device performance. The labs also have specialized equipment and procedural capabilities, including engineering/in vitro testing laboratories, cinefluoroscopy, cardiopulmonary bypass/perfusion systems, echocardiography/acoustic analysis, laser systems, digital-scanning electron microscopes and an IBAS image-analysis system.

Researchers in the labs conduct original research as well as collaborate with medical device companies and agencies around the world in the design, development and testing of:

  • Artificial hearts
  • Circulatory/ventricular assist systems
  • Site specific heart valves (mechanical and bioprosthetic)
  • Vascular grafts
  • Lasers
  • Myocardial revascularization techniques
  • Catheter systems
  • Pacemakers and pacing leads
  • Cardiopulmonary bypass components
  • Stents and occlusion devices
  • Echocardiography
  • Intravascular ultrasound
  • Autotransfusion systems
  • Biocompatibility and hemocompatibility of prosthetic surfaces
  • Hemolysis in prosthetic devices
  • Cell seeding/tissue engineering

Leading Innovation Since 1972

Researchers in the Cardiovascular Surgery Research Laboratories have extensive experience in mechanical circulatory support devices. In fact, this Texas Heart Institute research department has been involved in the development of nearly every device in use today, including mechanical assist devices, ventricular assist devices (VAD), left ventricular assist devices (LVAD), total artificial hearts (TAH) and simple heart pumps.