Magnetically levitated titanium heart begins to move inside a living patient's chest

A fully mechanical heart made by Vivacor, which uses the same technology as high-speed trains, has been implanted inside a human body for the first time, a major step towards keeping people alive who are waiting for a heart transplant.

The total artificial heart (TAH) was implanted as part of an early feasibility study overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. According to a statement from the Texas Heart Institute, where the implantation took place, the heart is “a titanium, biventricular rotary blood pump with a single moving part that utilizes a magnetically levitated rotor to pump blood and replace both ventricles of the failing heart.”

According to BiVACOR, a company that has been working on the device since 2013, the advantage of using a magnetically levitated rotor to power the device's blood circulation is that there is no friction, a force that can be very damaging to machinery, and scientists are looking for ways to reduce its effects. While this is by no means the first artificial heart to be used (the first successful implant was in 1969), it is the first to employ this novel use of magnetic levitation technology.

The fist-sized TAH rotates using a small, rechargeable external controller and can pump blood at a rate of 12 liters per minute, enough for an adult man to exercise, according to BiVACOR. The company also notes that other artificial hearts use flexible polymer diaphragms to pump blood, but such parts can wear out. Because BiVACOR's heart has just one part suspended in space by magnets, it has no valves and could technically last longer.

That said, titanium hearts are only meant to keep patients alive while they wait for a heart transplant, which is the current goal of developing a fully mechanical heart.

“This achievement would not have been possible without the courage of our first patient and her family, the dedication of our team, and the collaboration of experts at the Texas Heart Institute,” said Daniel Timms, BiVACOR's founder and CTO. “Utilizing advanced magnetic levitation technology, our TAH has brought us one step closer to providing a much-needed option for people with end-stage heart failure who need support while they wait for a heart transplant. We look forward to continuing the next phase of our clinical trials.”

At this stage, titanium hearts will be implanted into two more patients, who will be closely monitored while they await permanent transplant surgery.

heart failure At least 26 million people are affected worldwideAccording to American Heart AssociationThe demand for heart transplants has doubled over the past 30 years, resulting in over 3,400 people currently waiting for a transplant. If BiVACOR's titanium heart passes clinical trials, it could make a significant difference in helping these people, and many more, survive until a heart transplant can be completed.

sauce: Texas Heart Institute