Better Recovery After Ventricular Assist Devices Implantation at End-Stage Heart Failure: Dr. Andreas Kourouklis, COSKIN

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By helping pumping blood, Ventricular Assist Devices during end-stage heart failure can prolong life. They can be implanted instead of a heart transplant or while waiting for a heart transplant.
They may, however, come with some unwanted side effects, such as infections of a wound that doesn’t heal. The reason is that a cable connecting the Ventricular Assist Device to its power source must pass through the skin on the abdomen and remain there.
This wound, a small hole in the abdomen, where the cable goes through the skin, would not heal and is therefore susceptible to infections that lead to hospitalization. Why?
You’ll hear about it in this episode, as well as

• what Ventricular Assist Devices are
• how a wound heals – from mechanical perspective
• what are mechanical and biological properties of the skin
• what is end-stage heart failure
• what makes a skin-friendly cable
• and for what else could such a biocompatible cable be used

My guest, Dr. Andreas Kourouklis, is a co-founder and the CEO of COSKIN. With a Ph.D. in biomaterials for biomedical applications he worked at Princeton University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before joining ETH Zurich.
COSKIN is a Swiss startup that develops a biocompatible medical cable to support end-stage heart failure patients. Unlike today’s cables powering mechanical circulatory support systems such as VADs, it resembles human tissue and prevents infections.
Go ahead and follow what they do at
https://www.coskindevices.com/
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Dr. Andreas Kourouklis and COSKIN
00:01:20 What Is End-Stage Heart Failure?
00:06:47 Current Treatment for End Stage Heart Failure: Ventricular Assist Devices
00:15:02 Challenges Regarding VAD Insertion
00:21:23 Developing a Biocompatible Cable
00:40:28 Proving Compatibility with Ventricular Assist Devices
00:49:15 The COSKIN Team
00:49:59 Other Possible Uses of the Biocompatible Cable: Neurostimulators, Catheters, and More
00:53:42 Thank You, Follow COSKIN
00:54:24 Follow X-Health.show, Disclaimer

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The information in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have any medical questions, please consult your healthcare practitioner. The opinions on the show are Alex's or her guests. The podcast does not make any responsibility or warranties about guests statements or credibility. While the podcast makes every effort to ensure that the information shared is accurate, please let us know if you have any comments, suggestions or corrections.

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1. Dr. Andreas Kourouklis and COSKIN (00:00:00)

2. What Is End-Stage Heart Failure? (00:01:20)

3. Current Treatment for End Stage Heart Failure: Ventricular Assist Devices (00:06:47)

4. Challenges Regarding VAD Insertion (00:15:02)

5. Developing a Biocompatible Cable (00:21:39)

6. Proving Compatibility with Ventricular Assist Devices (00:41:02)

7. The COSKIN Team (00:49:49)

8. Other Possible Uses of the Biocompatible Cable: Neurostimulators, Catheters, and More (00:50:33)

9. Thank You, Follow COSKIN (00:54:16)

10. Follow X-Health.show, Disclaimer (00:54:58)