How long will it take to develop the perfect artificial heart? January 2024 The world's first high-tech artificial heart was attempted a decade ago. But since then, scientists have failed to make any revolution in this field. Why could this not be done despite the availability of modern technology?
Cardiologists and heart surgeons have been trying to develop artificial hearts for the past 60 years. The heart is actually a simple organ. A pump, four chambers consisting of a few valves, tubes, and the most elaborate wiring. But human health becomes seriously endangered when this pump does not work as it should. If the pump becomes weak, it cannot move blood efficiently throughout the body.
Affected individuals have great difficulty breathing; even at rest, they cannot breathe properly. Their organs are not supplied with enough blood, which deprives them of oxygen and nutrients. The only way out of this situation is to have a new heart. However, there is a severe shortage of heart donors, so there is a dire need for alternatives on the market.
First experience with artificial heart implantation
Cardiologists and heart surgeons have been trying to develop artificial hearts for the past 60 years. There are several systems available to support or improve the hearts of patients with less severe heart disease, but there are still no solutions for patients with more severe heart disease.
In 1982, the first artificial heart was implanted in the United States. However, this heart met only a few basic needs and was not able to meet the other specific needs of the patient. Nevertheless, this heart transplant was appreciated. The mastermind behind the artificial heart was French heart surgeon Alain Carpente. Photo: Christian Liewig/Abaca/Picture Alliance
The mastermind behind this artificial heart was French heart surgeon Alain Carpente, who had previously made a name for himself by developing heart valves. They introduced biomaterials such as pig cartilage to replace the old, synthetic material of the diseased heart. In recent years, 50 artificial hearts have been implanted.
Alan Carpente expanded the biological content of the heart. They also took many other aspects into account while preparing the heart using the latest sensors. This resulted in the development of an artificial heart that could adapt to the user's physical activity.
The first recipient of the so-called 'carmit heart' was a 76-year-old man with a severe heart condition. With this new pump, he lived 74 more days.
Many other adjustments have been made to artificial heart surface materials, software, and pumps in recent years, says Stephen Pyatt, head of artificial heart maker Cormet. About 50 patients have been implanted with such artificial hearts. Currently, 15 people are suffering from cardiac arrest, while the remaining patients have died.
Carmet Hart A complex technology.
Carmet has a large heart size, which is why it is not suitable for small chests. In particular, it cannot be implanted in women's breasts. Moreover, it is also very complicated. Carmet Dil consists of about 250 components or parts. "Any one of them can break," says Dr. Evgenij Potapov, of the Heart Center at the Charité Hospital in Berlin.
This makes the Cormet heart much weaker than other artificial hearts and, as always, comes at a higher cost for greater benefits. The price of such a heart is about two hundred thousand dollars. According to Dr. Potapov, half of the patients who had these hearts transplanted did not survive more than six months.
An artificial heart is a temporary solution.
Is it possible to live long with a carmut heart? That's the most important question, according to Stephen Pyatt, head of the company Cormet. He says his company will move in the direction of long-term therapy in the coming years. So far, Cormet Hart has only been approved for the European market as an interim solution.
"If it halves its size and there are no technical problems, it will be a huge success," says Dr. Evgenij Potapov. However, quality issues have forced the company to withdraw its products for a year at the end of 2021. Must be eliminated from the market.
Meanwhile, researchers are experimenting with genetically modified hearts and engineered tissues from pigs. It still needs to be determined whether such hearts will be more successful than artificial hearts.
So far, scientists have been unable to create an artificial heart that can beat in a human chest for long periods of time.