Testing the implantation of a beatless artificial heart

Scientists have successfully implanted a beating artificial heart into a sheep and could test it on humans in 2018.

The BiVACOR device has different features to previous designs. Photo: Prince Charles Hospital

The BiVACOR device, developed by scientists at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, replaces the beating of the heart with a rotating disk that pumps blood around the body.

Yesterday, IB Times reported that a team of experts from Australia and the US successfully performed a BiVACOR implant on a sheep. Thanks to the titanium rotating disc in the artificial heart, the sheep is still alive and healthy.

This is a departure from previous artificial heart designs, which used a bulky, balloon-shaped bag to mimic the workings of a biological heart. BiVACOR is designed to avoid wear and tear, and can last more than 10 years longer than previous versions.

"This is a viable idea. The problem now is to make it reliable enough to be applied to patients. Before we do human trials, we set a time frame of 3-5 years," said Daniel Timms, the project's lead designer.

Before applying it on the human body, expected in 2018, a campaign is being conducted with the hope of raising 3.8 million USD.

According to VnExpress