Researchers work on new artificial heart
Reported June 13, 2008
HOUSTON, June 13 (UPI) — The Texas Heart Institute said a $2.8 million federal grant will be used to fund development of a new artificial heart that pumps blood continuously.
Previous heart-assist pumps duplicated the pulse of the natural heart, the institute said Thursday in a release. The experimental device being developed at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston uses two small ventricular-assist devices (VADs) — one to circulate blood throughout the body and the other to cycle blood flow to and from the lungs.
“We have been working in this field for more than 40 years and the technical challenges inherent in developing a total artificial heart have, to date, limited its application,” said lead investigator Dr. Bud Frazier, director of surgical research at the Texas Heart Institute. “We are highly encouraged by the federal funding support for this effort, and we look forward to strengthening our collaborative relationships as we move forward with this research.”
The grant was awarded by the National Institutes of Health.