With the aim of boosting heart implantation technology, innovators in healthcare devised a metal-based device that looks and functions like a heart called Total Artificial Heart (TAH), which was developed by BiVACOR.
Being hailed a ‘bridge-to-transplant solution’ for patients suffering from severe biventricular heart failure or univentricular heart failure. This is a condition in which medical professionals advise against left ventricular assist device support.
Earlier yesterday [July 25, 2024], The Texas Heart Institute (THI) along with BiVACOR announced the first successful in-human implantation of the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH).
The first-in-human transplant of BiVACOR TAH took place at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center as part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Early Feasibility Study (EFS) on July 9, 2024.
Composed of titanium-based biventricular rotary blood pump
The artificial heart is composed of a titanium-constructed biventricular rotary blood pump with a single moving part that utilizes a magnetically levitated rotor according to a statement by The Texas Heart Institute.
The rotor pumps the blood and replaces both ventricles of a failing heart.
According to New Atlas , the artificial heart uses the same technology as high-speed rail lines, and now has been implanted inside a human being.
The purpose of the device is not to replace the heart entirely but only until the patient is waiting for an actual heart transplant.
Daniel Timms, founder, and CTO of BiVACOR stated that the TAH utilized advanced maglev technology.
“The TAH brings us one step closer to providing a desperately needed option for people with end-stage heart failure who require support while waiting for a heart transplant,” he said.
“I look forward to continuing the next phase of our clinical trial.”
First use of maglev tech in artificial heart
While it’s not the first-ever artificial heart transplant but this was the first time scientists used magnetic levitation (maglev) technology.
The maglev technology employs magnetic fields to suspend and rotate the rotor without physical contact. The approach reduces friction and mechanical wear, thereby improving the durability and reliability of mechanical devices.
In the BiVACOR TAH, maglev enables a single moving part— the rotor—to pump blood efficiently through the heart’s chambers, offering a smoother, more biocompatible alternative to traditional mechanical pumps that rely on multiple moving components and mechanical valves.
This technology aims to minimize blood trauma and improve the overall performance of the artificial heart .
The study strives to assess the safety and performance of the BiVACOR TAH in patients experiencing heart failure – one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. It has impacted a minimum of 26 million people worldwide , and 6.2 million adults in the U.S.
Dr. Joseph Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Texas Heart Institute and National Principal Investigator on the research stated:
We are proud to be at the forefront of this medical breakthrough, working alongside the dedicated teams at BiVACOR, Baylor College of Medicine, and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center to transform the future of heart failure therapy for this vulnerable population.”
According to the institute, the U.S. National Institutes of Health estimated that up to 100,000 patients could immediately benefit from mechanical circulatory support (MCS), and the European market is similarly sized.
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