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Press Release

Dr. Danny Bluestein Joins MicroMed Science Advisory Board

Danny Bluestein, PhD, is the newest member of the Science Advisory Board for MicroMed Cardiovascular, manufacturer of the HeartAssist 5™ ventricular assist device.

Professor of Bioengineering at SUNY-Stony Brook
is Leading Expert in Hemodynamics

HOUSTON – Sept. 24, 2009 – On Sept. 24, MicroMed Cardiovascular (www.micromedcv.com) announced that Danny Bluestein, PhD, Professor of Bioengineering at SUNY-Stony Brook, has joined the Science Advisory Board (SAB) to provide industry expertise and guidance for the HeartAssist 5® ventricular assist device (VAD)®.

“Dr. Bluestein is a leading edge researcher in biofluids and the dynamics of blood flow in the cardiovascular system,” said Bill Birdsall, CEO of MicroMed. “He brings valuable expertise to the SAB in hemodynamics, flow induced cardiovascular pathologies and design optimization of cardiovascular prostheses, including ventricular assist devices.”

Dr. Bluestein is an established investigator for the American Heart Association and the Director of the Biofluids Laboratory at SUNY-Stony Brook. He is currently conducting research on the formation of thromboemboli in cardiovascular devices using innovative in vitro techniques and platelet assays, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) modeling and Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV).

Dr. Bluestein joins other world-renowned members of MicroMed’s SAB, including transplant surgeon George Noon MD, co-inventor of the HeartAssist 5, Dr. Marvin Slepian, Director of Interventional Cardiology at the University of Arizona and Matthias Loebe, MD, PhD, professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas.

The HeartAssist 5 pump (photo) 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 HeartAssist 5 is a precise measurement and does not rely on estimates by software or the clinician.

For more information, please visit http://www.micromedcv.com

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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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