Originally Published MX May/June 2002
COVER STORY
Approaching the Goal Line
 AbioCor implantable components illustrated in one recommended clinical position. The round power-transfer coil may alternatively be placed in the right chest. |
Now in clinical
trials at five U.S. medical centers—and soon to enter clinical trials in
Europe—the AbioCor artificial replacement heart is a fully implantable
prosthetic system intended as a substitute for severely diseased human hearts
in patients suffering from coronary artery disease or some form of end-stage
congestive heart failure.
The device
incorporates many advanced technologies developed over the two decades since
clinical trials were conducted with the preceding generation of artificial heart
devices. Operation of the device following implantation, for instance, does
not require any tubes or wires to pass through the skin. Power to drive the
prosthetic heart is transmitted across the intact skin, avoiding skin penetration
that can result in infection.
An internal controller
regulates the delivery of power from an external unit to the prosthetic heart.
A rechargeable internal battery allows the patient to be completely free of
the external power-transmission unit for some period of time, monitored by the
internal system. The AbioCor also includes an active monitoring system that
provides detailed performance feedback and alarms in the event of irregularities.
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The AbioCor consists
of two blood-pumping chambers. The right pump supplies blood to the lungs, while
the left pump provides blood to other vital organs and the rest of the body.
Each of the two pumps is capable of delivering more than 2 gal of blood every
minute. The AbioCor system is designed to increase or decrease its pump rate
in response to the body's needs.
The replacement heart is compact (about the size of a grapefruit) and quiet.
A stethoscope is required to listen to the "heart sounds." The pumps
and valves are made from Angioflex, a proprietary Abiomed material.
