Abiomed has debuted the third generation of its Impella CP heart pump, a device designed to unload the heart and let it naturally recover.

The Danvers, Massachusetts-based company announced the news at this year’s Society for Cardiovascular and Angiography Interventions (SCAI) conference in New Orleans, they said in a May 9 press release.

The Impella line is the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved percutaneous ventricular assist device declared safe and effective.

The new pump provides features for optimal percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) care in patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock. Back in March, research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 66th Scientific Sessions found that Impella heart devices were in fact effective in increasing the survival rate of cardiogenic shock patients. 

Features include higher blood flow up to 4 liters/minute and better access to the femoral artery in case clinicians need to rapidly escalate care. Additionally, the new pump comes with a longer introducer sheath, at 25 cm, which can simplify the insertion on the device.

"The ability to introduce the Impella device simply and swiftly even in the presence of challenging femoral or iliac arteries will be valuable for interventional cardiologists caring for high-risk patients during PCI and for those in cardiogenic shock," said Seth Bilazarian, MD, the chief medical officer at Abiomed. "Enhanced flows will be very useful, as will the new guide wire repositioning unit which expands the options for access site closure or device exchanges."

The third generation of the Impella CP will be available for viewing at Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), and Abiomed will host three live cases that feature the device.