The CardiacKids have created a device that can measure the points of end-systole and end-diastole in the PVAD cycle. Most importantly, determining the end-diastole point ensures that all the blood is being ejected from the blood; however, the end-systole position is a point of interest, although the minimum requirement of the project was to find the end-diastole position. The CardiacKids successfully found these terminus points in the cardiac cycle using both a piezoelectric film (to find end-systole) and a light sensor (to find end-diastole). The sensors’ circuitry are packaged in a convenient housing unit; the light source and sensor can easily attach to the PVAD with a Velcro sleeve; finally, the low-profile FSR is inserted into the cap of the PVAD.

Two improvements can be made on this design: use of only one sensor to detect major end-points and resolution of the complete range of diaphragm displacement. Resolving the entire breadth of displacement requires excellent real-time optical properties of human blood which would need to be tested. The CardiacKids were unable to recover the properties under these conditions using the equipment available. Another design constraint in determining the full displacement range comes in the nature of the blood motion. As the pumps, a wavelike motion is made; the sac does not uniformly depress. Thus, depending on the location of displacement sensor, varying results may be obtained. With further research, this may be a possibility in the future.