Imagine being able to survive without the most crucial organ in your body beating continually in your chest. Scientists at ETH Zurich had the exact same vision in mind when they decided to develop a custom-made 3D-printed artificial heart which imitates the human heart as closely as possible in form and function.
For years now, scientists have been working on developing artificial organs that could improve transplant surgeries without the need for a human donor. But none have come as far as this concept prototype which is made of a biocompatible material - silicone - in an attempt to mimic the natural heart and enable it to function in a similar manner. The silicone ventricles used in its pumping mechanism, avoid blood circulation hindrances and enable it to pump just like a real heart. A chamber in between the ventricles fills and deflates to perform the pumping action.
While making use of soft and flexible materials, the researchers developed a complex inner structure to make different internal mechanisms fit together by moulding the whole thing in a single part (monoblock). There are two external input and output ports which allow the flow of blood.
This invention looks to replace mechanical pumps that often cause complications to the body but are currently the only solution to people suffering from heart diseases or waiting for an organ donor. Almost the same size, although weighing slightly more than the real heart - 390 grams (0.39 kg) - it has a volume of 679 cubic centimeters.
While all this seems too good to be true, there is a crucial limitation that this invention faces - its performance lasts for only 3,000 beats of a regular human heart, which accounts to barely 30-45 minutes (depending on your heart rate)
Nicholas Cohrs who lead the research team, claims this to only be a feasibility test where they used a fluid with the same viscosity as blood to flow along against body-like pressures and it worked pretty well for the limited time that it did. He further adds that their goal was not to present a heart ready for implantation, but to think about a new direction for the development of artificial hearts. The plan is to further improvise on materials and design, to make a significant and long lasting impact.
Once the team is successful in overcoming the limitations of the invention, it could save the lives of 26 million people around the world who suffer from various heart-related conditions. The team's research was published in the journal Artificial Organs. You can watch the artificial heart in action below:
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