Japan: 3-minute heart restart system for emergencies developed by scientists

Researchers from a university in Japan have announced the development of a system capable of resuming blood circulation in an injured heart within three minutes.

According to the team from Tohoku University in Japan, the inspiration for creating such a system came from the fatal July 2022 shooting of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.

The researchers said that the system is designed to be of assistance in emergency situations such as terrorist attacks and other public emergencies.

The three-minute system to jump-start an injured heart

According to a report by Japanese news agency Jiji Press , the system has been developed by Yasuyuki Shiraishi, an associate professor at the university’s Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, and his team members.

“If we can get the bleeding under control and perform an emergency thoracotomy (surgery to gain access to the pleural space of the chest), there is a chance we can save the patient’s life,” the research team said in its announcement, according to the report.

The three-minute system comprises a precise division of tasks to secure the patient’s airway, perform an emergency thoracotomy, control bleeding and administer transfusions, all within three minutes to restart blood circulation quickly.

The process includes puncturing the left ventricle to attach an artificial pump while performing emergency resuscitation and intubation side by side. The pump is then connected to the femoral artery to establish a blood flow to restore the heart’s circulatory function.

In scenarios where connecting through the femoral artery is challenging due to the injury’s location, the system calls for securing an alternative route.

Moreover, the system also allows for the addition of an artificial lung for those cases where there is a lung injury involved.

“The window to prevent brain death following the cessation of blood circulation is only three minutes,” the research team stated, as per the report .

“A system that can resume circulation within this time frame is crucial. In emergencies, faster methods than this one that we have now remain impractical.”

The team is now planning to establish and demonstrate this system.

“If implemented, this system could significantly increase the number of patients saved,” the team said .

Shinzo Abe’s assassination

On July 8, 2022, the former prime minister of Japan was assassinated while speaking at a political event in Nara City, Nara Prefecture.

The political leader was fatally shot from close range during his campaign rally, just days before the parliamentary election.

It was the damage caused to his heart by the bullet which had led to his death, as per several reports .

Abe’s assassination was the first of a sitting or former Japanese premier since the 1930s during the days of Japan’s pre-war militarism.

His death sent shockwaves across the nation and globe, with tributes and condolences pouring in for modern Japan’s longest-serving leader.

The recent attack on former US president and Republican candidate for presidential elections 2024 Donald Trump had led to Japanese individuals drawing parallels between the two attacks.