Company unveils artificial heart technology

By Brandie Umar - Executive Director of Content | July 15th, 2010

The demand for donor hearts to use in heart transplant surgery is growing. Every year patients die from heart disease while waiting for a donor heart to become available. French company Carmat claim to have produced the technology enabling them to provide patients with an artificial heart that could save thousands of lives.

The prototype artificial heart is made of animal and synthetic tissue and functions using mini electrical motors. Sensors help the heart to mimic the response of a natural heart to pump blood around the body and regulate the cardiac system.

The device is revolutionary as it offers a permanent long-term replacement heart. Currently the only available artificial hearts are used as a temporary measure to keep patients alive until a donor heart can be found. The Carmat developed heart would be offered to patients as a long-term alternative to a donor heart and would provide hope to many patients - in particular those patients who are difficult to match to a donor organ.

In the United States alone over 4,000 people annually are in need of

heart transplant. The shortage of donor organs means at least 50% of these patients will not recieve a donor heart within the recommended time period and many die as a result. Heart transplant surgery costs around $300,000 USD. The artificial heart would cost the same as a heart transplant using a donor heart but patients would be able to receive the life-saving heart transplant surgery immediately.