10,000 RPM Artificial Heart... No Pulse

[Rydian]

Researchers from the Texas Heart Institute have successfully replaced the human heart with a 10,000-RPM artificial pump, which leaves its patients with absolutely no pulse. [...]

Many have tried to make a metal and plastic heart that is capable of beating, but many were unable to continuously beat beyond an 18-month period. Also, metal and plastic have many limitations, such as the requirement of an air compressor outside of the body [...]

Cohn and Frazier's continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD), however, can replace the heart and doesn't require a compressor because the researchers discovered that recreating the pulse wasn't necessary. [...]

One of the turbines used in the artificial heart has been running in a lab continuously for eight years, and it runs on a small battery that the patient can easily carry on their shoulder.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=24157

Hm, imagine the pranks some patients might pull.

 

[smile72]

This sounds interesting. Hopefully it will help people who need heart transplants.

 

[KingVamp]

err... I wouldn't want that in me...

 

[Hells Malice]

I'm sorry, but I wouldn't want that in me...

I s'pose death would be a better option for ya then?
Beggars can't be choosers.

 

[FAST6191]

I had heard of the turbine heart before ( http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/13/electric_smart_heart/ ) but did not realise they human trials were this close. Interesting times we live in.

 

[BORTZ]

I dont really know what this article is saying haha

 

[Foxi4]

That's pretty neat, actually. I hope it adjusts the speed of bloodflow during periods of physical strain, during excercising or running. One might faint if it doesn't afterall.

I also hope that whoever has it will also have a card on him/her, informing that he/she has no pulse due to this implant. I can already imagine paramedics making the fatal mistake of misjudging someone as dead if a person would faint of have an accident and require help - not every doctor checks for signs of breathing - some just check the pulse, especially in stressful situations.

I'd wear a dogtag 24/7 if I had one of those, just to be sure they won't bury me alive, both figuratively and literally.

I can't help but wonder how this handles erections, too. After all, you need increased bloodflow during one, I wonder if it "adjusts" to that aswell.

 

[Jax]

Doesn't Dick Cheney have one of these already.

I know that he doesn't have a pulse.

 

[Pong20302000]

soon hopefully can ditch this meat bag then

 

[PolloDiablo]

and it runs on a small battery that the patient can easily carry on their shoulder.

you better don't run out of batteries

 

[DiscostewSM]

soon hopefully can ditch this meat bag then

That much closer to cybermen.

 

[Luigi2012SM64DS]

9this makes me queasy

 

[DarkStriker]

and it runs on a small battery that the patient can easily carry on their shoulder.

you better don't run out of batteries

Or that someone pulls it out just to have some fun

 

[Jamstruth]

soon hopefully can ditch this meat bag then

That much closer to cybermen.

Hopefully not. Cybermen are terribly designed. I'm sure we can come up with something better.

I hate the idea of having anything artificial in me (some girl friends of mine were talking about those implants and feeling them through their skin and I was just all squeamish about the idea) and this will involve a cable coming out of your body. It will save lives though and that's what's important.

 

[The Catboy]

Doesn't Dick Cheney have one of these already.

I know that he doesn't have a pulse.

No, he's just running on insanity and evil.

 

[Luigi2012SM64DS]

and it runs on a small battery that the patient can easily carry on their shoulder.

you better don't run out of batteries

Or that someone pulls it out just to have some fun

kill a peoson... for fun?
yeahhh smart choice

 

[DarkStriker]

and it runs on a small battery that the patient can easily carry on their shoulder.

you better don't run out of batteries

Or that someone pulls it out just to have some fun

kill a peoson... for fun?
yeahhh smart choice

Trust me it happen. Seeing as people actually put cats in their microwave

 

[Luigi2012SM64DS]

and it runs on a small battery that the patient can easily carry on their shoulder.

you better don't run out of batteries

Or that someone pulls it out just to have some fun

kill a peoson... for fun?
yeahhh smart choice

Trust me it happen. Seeing as people actually put cats in their microwave

(btw what does ninja'd mean?)

 

[FAST6191]

soon hopefully can ditch this meat bag then

That much closer to cybermen.

Hopefully not. Cybermen are terribly designed. I'm sure we can come up with something better.

I hate the idea of having anything artificial in me (some girl friends of mine were talking about those implants and feeling them through their skin and I was just all squeamish about the idea) and this will involve a cable coming out of your body. It will save lives though and that's what's important.

How come you can make such observations (note I have no idea what cybermen are about other than I heard the name once) and yet when I posit that a parallel system would have been a better move after watching the human centipede I get called a monster.

As for implants roll on the day the self replicating robot FAST6191s get sent out to explore the universe.

Also as for the cables wireless power has been making some fairly big advances these last couple of years and you had better believe a bit chunk of the funding for it comes from the biomedical engineering world.

Regarding batteries this gig was sorted fairly long ago (powered items have long been added to humans)- you have backups, alarms and the ability to plug yourself in.

 

[Fishaman P]

RPM? How does a heart rotate!?!