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Dr. Marvin Slepian Joins MicroMed Cardiovascular
as Chairman of the Science Advisory Board
Dr. Marvin Slepian is the new Chairman of
the Science Advisory Board for MicroMed Cardiovascular,
manufacturer of the HeartAssist 5™ ventricular
assist device.
New SAB to Advance the Work Started by NASA and Dr.
Michael DeBakey
HOUSTON – July 23,
2009 – On July 23, MicroMed Cardiovascular
announced the creation of its Science Advisory Board
(SAB), led by new Chairman Marvin Slepian, MD, to provide
scientific support and guidance related to its HeartAssist
5™ ventricular assist device (VAD)™.
“I am honored to continue
the work of renowned heart surgeon Dr.
Michael DeBakey and the engineering experts at NASA,”
said Dr. Slepian. “The European HeartAssist 5
has tremendous advances compared to pulsatile devices,
including smaller size, less invasive surgery and greater
patient comfort.”
The HeartAssist 5 pump weighs
only 92 grams and measures just 2.8 x 1.2 inches. Because
of its miniature size, it is one of the few LVADs that
can be implanted above the diaphragm, adjacent to the
heart. The HeartAssist 5 is the only LVAD with a precise,
direct flow measurement system. Unlike other devices,
blood flow for the European HeartAssist 5 is a precise
measurement and does not rely on estimates by software
or the clinician.
The pump for the HeartAssist 5™ pediatric ventricular assist
device (VAD)
“Dr. Slepian helped commercialize
the world’s first and only approved Total Artificial
Heart. He is an industry expert in polymeric biomaterials,
holding more than 25 issued patents with another 41
filed,” said Bill Birdsall, MicroMed CEO. “We
are pleased that he has agreed to join world-renowned
transplant surgeon George Noon MD, co-inventor of the
HeartAssist 5 and Matthias Loebe, MD, PhD and Professor
at Baylor College of Medicine on our SAB. I know Dr.
Slepian will be attracting several more world-leading
physicians and scientific experts to MicroMed’s
SAB in the coming weeks. This marks the beginning of
an exciting new chapter in the growth and outreach of
MicroMed.”
Dr. Slepian is Professor of Medicine
(Cardiology), Director of Interventional Cardiology
and Director of the Tissue Engineering Lab at the University
of Arizona. He is also the co-founder, Chief Medical
& Scientific Officer and Chairman of the Board for
SynCardia Systems, Inc. (http://www.syncardia.com),
manufacturer of the world’s only approved Total
Artificial Heart, the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™
Total Artificial Heart.
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In Europe the HeartAssist
5™ VAD has CE Marks
for both adult and pediatric use. In the U.S., the HeartAssist
5, formerly DeBakey VAD® Child, is the only FDA-approved
pediatric VAD. A bridge-to-transplant IDE clinical study
is currently underway in the U.S. for adults.
Media Contact:
Don
Isaacs
Director of Communications
MicroMed
Cardiovascular
Cell: (520) 955-0660
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