Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist® Tip-to-Toe

Jason Richard, an advanced Impella trainer at Abiomed, provides a tip-to-toe review of the key features of the Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist®.

• 6Fr pigtail with the red EasyGuide lumen inside – the pigtail assists with stabilizing the catheter in the correct position within the pulmonary artery and the EasyGuide lumen assists with backloading the 0.027” wire through the cannula
• Outlet area with 5 opening (windows) – allows blood to exit the cannula
• 22Fr, 22 cm nitinol cannula covered in polyurethane – provides optimal and stable position during operation
• Inlet area with 2 sensors that provide SmartAssist metrics – blood enters the cannula through the inlet area; the differential pressure sensor measures the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cannula; the fiber-optic sensor senses right atrial (RA) pressure or central venous pressure (CVP)
• 21Fr motor housing – an encapsulated motor that can provide up to 4 L/min of flow
• 11Fr catheter shaft – the shaft has markers every centimeter from 53 cm to 76 cm to aid in positioning; the shaft contains a pressure lumen, a purge lumen, and fiber-optic and electrical signals
• Repositioning unit – consists of a 15Fr outer diameter sheath with hemostatic valve and an anticontamination sleeve with an anchoring ring (Touhy) to secure the sheath to the catheter
• Blue Impella plug –  contains the EPROM chip, optical pressure sensor, purge line, and electrical wiring
• Clear sidearm – sidearm from the blue Impella plug that leads to the infusion filter, pressure reservoir, and check valve – the infusion filter prevents bacterial contamination and air from entering the purge lumen; the pressure reservoir provides additional filling volume during purge solution changes; the one-way check valve ensures purge fluid flows in only one direction
• White connector cable – connects to the Automated Impella Controller™ (AIC) that communicates with the Impella Catheter

For more information contact the 24/7 Impella Clinical Support Center at 1-800-422-8666.