The
first human artificial heart implantation performed in Georges Pompidou
Hospital, Paris on 18 December 2013 was successful.
The artificial
heart designed by the French biomedical firm Carmat and developed by the Dutch
based European Aeronautic Defence and Space
Comp any (EADS).
The
artificial heart can give patients up to five years of extra life, which
replaces the real heart. The previous heart assistance devices are created
mainly for temporary use.
The artificial heart
uses biomaterials including
bovine tissue and an array of sensors to mimic the contractions of the heart.
The patient has to wear a belt of lithium batteries to power the heart.
Inside the heart, surfaces that come into contact with human
blood are made partly from bovine tissue instead of synthetic materials which
can cause blood clots.
The artificial heart weighs as little as less than a kilogram
(900grams), almost three times heavier than an average healthy human heart.
