A 58-year-old American man has become the first person in the world to have his failing heart replaced with a temporary titanium blood pump.
This metal organ appears to have been made for the Tin Man, but was actually designed by a medical device company. Vivacall To completely replace the function of a living human heart for as long as possible.
BiVACOR's total artificial heart (TAH) is not designed to beat like a real heart, but even without a flexible ventricle or pumping diaphragm, BiVACOR claims it is powerful enough to support a man in exercise and small enough to fit most men and women.
The dual-chamber device is about the size of a fist, is resistant to corrosion and mechanical wear, and is virtually indestructible.
The only moving parts are hidden inside, a single magnetically levitated rotor that pumps blood to the lungs and then the rest of the body. The spinning rotor doesn't come into contact with any other surfaces, so there's no damage that can occur from friction over time.
The entire device is powered by a small external portable controller that is expelled from the stomach.
It took 10 yearsAfter various designs and dozens of animal studies, the BiVACOR artificial heart was finally implanted in the chest of a patient with end-stage heart failure. The device was implanted without complications at the Texas Heart Institute at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center.
According to the patient's doctor, the titanium heart 8 days went very well before real donor hearts were available.
“We are very proud to witness the first successful human transplant of our TAH.” say Daniel Timms, founder of BiVACOR;
“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.”
Currently, the best treatment for patients with severe heart failure is a real donor heart, but it's not always available in a timely manner: Fewer than 6,000 heart transplants are performed worldwide each year.
Therefore, the artificial heart Extend and improve quality of life For transplant eligible patients at imminent risk of death.
However, only one artificial heart has been developed in the past 20 years. Received Approved for commercial use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
it is Syncardia Total Artificial HeartThe flexure membranes and valves are fairly large and not particularly durable in the body for extended periods of time.
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The heart of the BiVACOR is described by its manufacturer as “Paradigm ShiftThis artificial heart design is built to last.
No one knows how long the device will work in humans, but on the lab benchtop, the BiVACOR design appears to be working. We are now in our fourth year..
Syncardia's artificial heart is designed for short-term use only. Lasting for years Among patients waiting for transplants,
Last November, Vivacor received FDA approval to implant TAHs in up to five patients with end-stage heart failure in 2024. Given the success of the first transplant, it is hoped that additional transplants will be performed in the near future.
“The global impact of a commercially viable, long-term mechanical replacement for a failing human heart would be enormous.” read A summary of ongoing clinical studies.
“Patients who desperately need a heart transplant will no longer have to wait years but will be able to receive one immediately, which will immediately improve their quality of life.”
