AREQUIPA, Peru – The Texas Heart Institute (THI) has successfully implanted a novel artificial heart that uses the same technology as high-speed trains in a patient with end-stage heart failure.
The fact was published in the official website of the Institute and represents a long-term solution for people awaiting a transplant of this vital organ.
“The Texas Heart Institute is excited about the groundbreaking first implantation of the BiVACOR TAH, as heart failure remains a leading cause of death worldwide,” said Dr. Joseph Rogers, THI President and CEO and national principal investigator of the study.
According to the release, the TAH, manufactured by BiVACOR, is a biventricular rotary blood pump constructed of titanium with a single moving part that uses a magnetically levitated rotor to pump blood and replace both ventricles of a failing heart.
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. This disorder affects at least 26 million people. people in the worldand its prevalence is increasing. The population suffering from an advanced form of heart failure requires a heart transplant.
However, a shortage of donors limits the number of transplants that can be performed (6,000 a year worldwide), leaving patients dependent on artificial pumps as a temporary option while they wait to receive their organ.
According to BiVACOR, the advantage of using a magnetically levitated rotor to boost blood circulation function is that it is frictionless and has no mechanical wear, so there is little need for maintenance.
He also mentioned that the total artificial heart, which is about the size of a hand, uses a small, rechargeable external controller to keep it running, as well as being able to pump blood at a rate of 12 liters per minute, enough to allow an adult man workout.
“We still have a lot to learn about the device, but we’ve tested it extensively in our labs, so we’re very confident that it will be a durable device,” Rogers said.
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