Initial Design and Evaluation of a Pediatric Intra-Cardiac Camera System for Ventricular Septal Defects

The primary objective of this project is to design, fabricate, and test a small, integrated camera system for aiding in the visualization and surgical repair of certain types of ventricular septal defects (VSD), in pediatric patients. Currently, no purpose-designed commercial device to view VSDs from the left ventricle of the heart exists. The left ventricular perspective is ideal for obtaining an unobstructed view of the VSD. This VSD camera device would also provide a platform for passing a suture through the hole in the ventricular septum, with future work implementing additional tools capable of more advanced tasks. This camera device will help solve some of the major issues currently associated with cardiac imaging and surgical closure of VSDs in newborns and young children This paper examines the design development and preliminary evaluation of a proof of concept device. Included are preliminary results of image quality comparisons, design details of a pediatric-specific VSD camera device, and initial outcomes from in vitro testing.