An Introduction to the Artificial Heart

Each year heart failure takes the lives of roughly 250,000 people in the United States alone [1]. The total artificial heart (picture to the left) will become an essential tool to the survival of many Americans as time passes and the baby boomers begin to age. Also, as obesity becomes an increasing problem, so will heart failure, and the need for heart transplants. Fortunately, technology has increased dramatically and the total artificial heart is becoming more successful. DeBakey designed the first “mechanical circulatory support device” and it was implanted in a patient in the year 1963 [1]. However, progress on the artificial heart slowed soon after until the Jarvik-7 heart invented by Dr. Robert Jarvik (picture to the right) was first implanted in December of 1982 in a patient in Utah [1]. Unfortunately, the patient died four months later of infection due to the artificial heart being both inside and outside of the body [1]. The trend of total artificial heart implantations slowed due to the failure of the Jarvik-7 heart and shifted to blood pumps and counterpulsation devices. Blood pumps come in two forms: pulsatile and non-pulsatile. Pulsatile devices are first generation, new technological devices that have valves and simulate the pulsating nature of the human heart [1]. Non-pulsatile devices are turbine pumps and are simpler and less expensive than pulsatile devices [1]. Counterpulsation devices compress the aorta, a section of the heart that pumps the blood through, in order to increase blood flow from the heart. Mechanical support may be temporary or permanent with temporary being the most commonly used form [1]. Even though the Jarvik-7 total artificial heart failed at first, it continues to be the one of the earliest and most used of the total artificial heart systems.

Picture of artificial heart courtesy www.britannica.com

Picture of Dr. Robert Jarvik courtesy www.jarvikheart.com

Information courtesy of

[1] Esmore D, Rosenfeldt F L. Mechanical Circulatory Support for the Failing Heart: Past, Present and Future. [editorial] Heart and Lung Circulation [serial on the Internet]. 2005 [cited 2008 Feb. 28];14(3):163-166. Available from: http://www.scopus.com/scopus/record/display.url?view=b..