Initial Design and Evaluation of an 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 ventricular septal defects (VSDs), or holes in the heart wall, in pediatric patients. Currently, a less invasive device to view VSDs from the left ventricle of the heart does not exist. This left perspective is ideal for obtaining an unobstructed view of the VSD. The proposed VSD camera device would also provide a platform for passing a suture through the hole in the septal wall, 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 both cardiac imaging and surgical intervention of VSDs by providing a minimally invasive camera platform for viewing VSDs from the left ventricle. This paper examines the design development and preliminary evaluation of a proof of concept device. Included are preliminary results of image quality comparisons and design details of a pediatric-specific VSD camera device.