Support devices 1

red:  left ventricular assist device.  Intake tubing is radio-opaque (shaded red), and takes blood from the left ventricle (LV) to a pump (shown diagramatically, actually located inferior to the image overlying the abdomen).  Blood is pumped back into the aorta via a conduit that is not radio-opaque (dotted red line).

These devices are used for patients who are waiting for transplant and have very low cardiac output.