Dr. Aaron Hoffman, Cardiothoracic Surgery Specialist, in one of the cardiac operating rooms at a hospital in Murfreesboro, TN (left) and senior scientist Dr. Christina Forbes working in a Phoenix lab (right).
© Megan Mendoza/The Republic / © HELEN COMER/The Daily News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Houston, TX) – A new kind of artificial heart is being developed — and it makes use of magnets. It doesn’t have valves, and it’s made of titanium. The magnets are used to pump the blood and to hold the artificial heart in a non-contact position. According to doctors involved, the structural setup and material used means the replacement hearts will not wear out.
The revolutionary device was installed into the chest cavity of a 58-year-old patient in Houston, at St. Luke’s Medical Center. Apparently the patient was up and walking just a few days later. Medical professionals say the hope is people suffering from heart failure can benefit from the device — potentially bridging the gap until they can get a heart transplant.
Heart failure impacts around 6.2 million Americans and routinely ranks among the leading causes of death for both US men and women.
