Artificial Heart approved in Europe
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https://gizmodo.com/this-next-gen-artificial-heart-is-set-to-go-on-sale-thi-1846158686
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Carmat, a French startup that claims it’s making the “world’s most advanced artificial heart”, recently announced it plans to start selling its device in Europe in the second quarter of this year. That’s major, as currently there’s only one other company, SynCardia, which has received regulatory approval for a total artificial heart device.
Artificial hearts have been around for more than 80 years, with Dr. Vladimir P. Demikhov implanting the very first total artificial heart (TAH) device into a dog in 1937. But given the heart’s central role in how a body functions, and the sheer complexity of developing one that would work in humans long-term, it wasn’t until the 1980s that TAH devices were implanted in people with the aim of becoming a permanent solution. Even now, they’re devices that are mostly meant to serve as a temporary “bridge” for those on the waiting list for a heart transplant.
Carmat’s TAH is interesting because it’s meant to be fully implantable and used in cases of terminal heart failure. It features embedded sensors and hydraulics to mimic human bloodflow, as well as chemically treated animal tissues to reduce the likelihood of clots. Unlike other TAHs, it can also adjust the flow rate of blood in real time depending on demand (i.e., exercise would require higher flow, etc.). It weighs 900 grams—about three times heavier than the human heart—and is powered by lithium ion batteries to provide four hours of mobility. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the idea is Carmat’s TAH should be able to operate continuously for up to five years while also letting the person with the device potentially live a “normal” life.
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It was hard to find the exact mechanism of pumping blood in this device. It looks like there's a bladder built into the wall of the "heart." To pump, the bladder is filled and the blood is squeezed out to the aorta and pulmonary artery. One of the big problems with other devices (particularly the "heart-lung machine" is trauma to blood components (red cells and platelets) from being pumped with a roller-head. This device seems to avoid this problem.
The first one they implanted lasted 75 days before the patient died.
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@george-k said in Artificial Heart approved in Europe:
and is powered by lithium ion batteries to provide four hours of mobility.
How does the charging work? Does wireless charging work through human tissue?
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to plug this into a standard USB charging port, e.g., in your car or the train? Or be able to use a USB power bank?
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For other highly imaginative and decidedly fictitious ways to recharge a TAH with built-in batteries, see Crank: High Voltage (2009).
I would put it in my "lame movie" thread except I can't find link to a freely streamable version of it.
