Use and monitoring of inhaled nitric oxide with left ventricular assist devices

1. A method of monitoring the left ventricle of a patient with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), the method comprising:

providing, via a display on a nitric oxide (NO) delivery device, clinician entry fields comprising pump speed, dose of inhaled NO, therapy duration, and number of times per day;

receiving input for each of the clinician entry fields;

reducing the pump speed of the LVAD to the received pump speed;

measuring one or more pulmonary hemodynamic parameters of the patient to obtain a first pulmonary hemodynamic value;

preloading the left ventricle by administering, via the NO delivery device, the received NO dose for the received therapy duration, wherein the NO dose is at a concentration of 5 to 80 ppm of NO and the therapy duration is for 5 to 30 minutes;

measuring one or more pulmonary hemodynamic parameters of the patient after or during administration of the dose of inhaled NO to obtain a second pulmonary hemodynamic value;

comparing the one or more hemodynamic parameters to a predetermined range;

adjusting the dose of inhaled NO if the one or more hemodynamic parameters are outside of the predetermined range; and

displaying the pump speed and the NO dose currently being delivered;

providing an exercise initiation button and receiving input from the exercise initiation button; and

exercising the heart, the exercising comprising:

discontinuing the inhaled NO administration; and

repeating the preloading, adjusting, and discontinuation to exercise the left ventricle of the patient's heart for the received number of times per day,

wherein the exercising steps are automated by the NO delivery device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pulmonary hemodynamic parameter is selected from left atrial pressure (LAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and cardiac output (CO).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an increase in LAP and/or PCWP from the first pulmonary hemodynamic value to the second pulmonary hemodynamic value of less than 5 mm Hg indicates that the left ventricle is improving.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising modifying treatment if the left ventricle is improving, the modifying comprising explanting the LVAD from the patient.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring one or more pulmonary hemodynamic parameters comprises monitoring one or more output parameters of the LVAD.