the BiVACOR TAH (total artificial heart), a new artificial heart prototype that has been implanted in a human patient.
Unlike previous artificial hearts, the BiVACOR TAH uses an impeller-based rotary pump design with magnetic levitation instead of bearings. This aims to minimize blood damage and enable a high blood flow rate even for exercising individuals.
The TAH is only meant as a “bridge to transplant” for patients awaiting a donor heart transplant who are not eligible for other temporary devices. It could give more patients a chance to receive a transplant.
However, the number of donor hearts is decreasing each year as demand increases. Alternatives being explored include transplanting genetically modified pig hearts or growing new hearts from a patient’s own cells.
An ideal solution would be a universal artificial heart that could act as a permanent “destination therapy” replacement. But developing a reliable long-term artificial heart has remained challenging.
The BiVACOR TAH represents new progress in the effort to develop better temporary or permanent solutions for failing hearts until organ transplantation or regenerative approaches are more widely available.
