Heart Disease HEART WIRED: Natural & Artificial Hearts
1: Powering The Heart
Like all artificial hearts, the AbioCor requires a power source, but unlike older models, the source is relatively small and does not require any tubes or wires to pass through the skin. The power driver draws energy from external batteries and sends it to an external transfer coil. The external coil passes the electricity through the intact skin to an internal transfer coil. The internal coil sends the energy to an internal controller. This method of energy transfer does not use openings in the skin that could cause infection.
2: Internal Control
The internal controller drives the prosthetic heart at different speeds, based on the body's needs. It is also connected to an internal, rechargeable battery that allows the recipient to be free of the external battery system for some period of time.
3: Artificial Heart
Similar to the natural heart, AbioCor's prosthetic heart has two blood-pumping ventricles. It uses an expandable membrane to pump blood by pressing the membrane against each ventricle. The right side sends blood to the lungs to become oxygen rich and the left side delivers that blood throughout the rest of the body. Each ventricle is capable of sending more than two gallons of blood through the body each minute.
The newest development in artificial heart technology is a fully implantable electric-powered pump that does not require any tubes or wires to protrude from the skin.
The AbioCor Implantable Replacement Heart is the first completely self-contained artificial heart system that works to extend life and allow recipients freedom of movement. It is designed to replace a severely diseased heart in patients who are close to death. This prosthetic heart is about the size of a
grapefruit and is so quiet a stethoscope is needed to listen to its "heart sounds."
