Abstract: A multi-chamber ventricular assist device (VAD) for blood pumping includes a rigid outer housing having an inlet and outlet, a pre-filling chamber disposed within the housing fluidly connected to the inlet, and an a ejection chamber disposed within the outer housing. A movable plate is flexibly secured to the housing and is in a flow path of the blood being disposed between the pre-filling and the ejection chamber. The movable plate has a one-way valve for flowing blood from said pre-filling chamber to the ejection chamber. An outlet valve is disposed between the ejection chamber and the outlet of the device. A structure is provided for moving the movable plate. The multi-chamber VAD is suitable as a heart prosthesis which can be implanted in the body or used externally.