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Streamlined Artificial Heart Could Solve Transplant Deficit

The new design has just one moving piece and no valves, significantly decreasing the chance of something going wrong.

Artificial Heart / Image: OHSU/KRISTYNA WENTZ-GRAFF
Artificial Heart / Image: OHSU/KRISTYNA WENTZ-GRAFF

At any given time, there are roughly 4,000 patients waiting for a heart transplant in the U.S. alone. But according to a recent Technology Review article, a new and incredibly simple artificial heart design could help solve the heart scarcity issue. A team at Oregon Health and Science University designed the device, which contains a single moving piece with no valves. It replaces the ventricles with a titanium tube inside of which a hollow rod moves back and forth to push blood to the lungs.

The team hopes the device will be the first of its kind to last the rest of a patient’s life due to its simple design. SynCardia’s artificial heart is the only one currently available in America, and it’s only meant to be a temporary solution while the patient awaits a transplant. OHSU’s heart device will likely be charged with a handheld battery pack outside of the body, but the team hopes to eventually develop a more efficient battery to be implanted and charged from outside the body.

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Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in life sciences packaging
Medical Device Innovations Report
Cutting-edge packaging technologies are transforming the medical device sector in PMMI’s “Innovation in Medical Device” report, featuring advanced materials, smart solutions, and evolving regulations. Editors share insights from nearly 300 PACK EXPO booth visits—each product deemed new and truly innovative—alongside video demonstrations of the equipment and materials on display.
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Medical Device Innovations Report