Scientists at the Texas Heart Institute (THI) have successfully implanted a titanium-constructed artificial heart. The technique was part of a preliminary feasibility study sponsored by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
BiVACOR invented the heart, a biventricular rotary blood pump with a single moving element that uses a magnetically levitated rotor to replace both ventricles of a failing heart.
The titanium heart has major advantages over earlier types because of its frictionless design, which reduces wear and tear and increases longevity. It works with a small rechargeable external controller and pumps blood at a rate of 12 litres per minute, which is enough to maintain an adult.
Unlike previous artificial hearts, which use flexible polymer diaphragms that wear out fast, the titanium heart’s components are designed to last.
Daniel Timms, BiVACOR’s founder and CTO, attributed the success to the patient, their family, and the THI team. He emphasised the titanium heart’s promise as a life-saving solution for individuals with end-stage heart failure awaiting transplantation.
According to the American Heart Association, 3,400 heart patients in the United States are waiting for permanent transplants every day.
