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Engineering meets biology in development of an artificial heart

Posted on 6 November 2008

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Charlotte Crump, The IET

It was very interesting to read a report in the Times Online (Oct 28) that demonstrates how engineers and surgeons are successfully working together to develop an artificial heart which could potentially save thousands of lives. 

The collaboration between Carmat, the company founded by the cardiac surgeon Professor Carpentier and EADS, Europe’s aerospace and defence giant looks to have overcome the hurdles of previous artificial hearts developed in the US.  The article explains the challenges the developers are working to overcome including how to reduce the risk of clots by creating the heart with a “pseudo-skin” of biosynthetic materials and the implications of supplying continuous power to the heart.  

It seems to me that the other hurdles to be overcome will include the safety and regulatory aspects of the system as well as the social and economic considerations of the transplantations.  Are you also conducting studies in this area or do you have a view on the content of the article?   Have your say by posting a comment to my blog. 

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