12-04-2017, 01:24 PM
An artificial heart is a device that replaces the heart. Artificial hearts are typically used to bridge the time to heart transplantation, or to permanently replace the heart in case heart transplantation is impossible. Although similar inventions preceded it in the late 1940s, the first artificial heart to be successfully implanted in a human being was the Jarvik-7 in 1982, designed by a team like Willem Johan Kolff and Robert Jarvik. An artificial heart is different from a ventricular assist device designed to support a failing heart. It is also distinct from a cardiopulmonary bypass machine, which is an external device that is used to provide the functions of the heart and lungs and are used only for a few hours at a time, most commonly during cardiac surgery.
An artificial heart is a prosthetic device that is implanted in the body to replace the original biological heart. It is distinct from a heart pump, which is an external device used to provide the functions of the heart and lungs. Therefore, the heart pump need not be connected to both blood circuits.
In addition, a heart pump is only suitable for use no more than a few hours, while for the artificial heart the current record is 17 months. This synthetic replacement for an organic (usually human) mammalian heart remains one of the far-reaching goals of modern medicine. Although the heart is conceptually a simple organ (basically a muscle that functions like a pump), it embodies complex subtleties that challenge direct emulation using synthetic materials and power supplies. The obvious benefit of a functional artificial heart would be to reduce the need for heart transplants because the demand for donor hearts far exceeds supply.
An artificial heart is a prosthetic device that is implanted in the body to replace the original biological heart. It is distinct from a heart pump, which is an external device used to provide the functions of the heart and lungs. Therefore, the heart pump need not be connected to both blood circuits.
In addition, a heart pump is only suitable for use no more than a few hours, while for the artificial heart the current record is 17 months. This synthetic replacement for an organic (usually human) mammalian heart remains one of the far-reaching goals of modern medicine. Although the heart is conceptually a simple organ (basically a muscle that functions like a pump), it embodies complex subtleties that challenge direct emulation using synthetic materials and power supplies. The obvious benefit of a functional artificial heart would be to reduce the need for heart transplants because the demand for donor hearts far exceeds supply.
