A French company called Carmat has built an artificial heart out of cow tissue which they believe is ready to be tested in live, human patients. The heart has been cleared for use in a number of countries, and trials using it will soon be underway in Belgium, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia and Poland.
Carmat Heart’s New Innovations
Artificial hearts aren’t a completely new technology, but Carmat’s heart is a bit different than predecessors. Like other artificial hearts, the Carmat is run by lithium batteries and is equipped with a range of sophisticated sensors which monitor blood flow. But unlike other previous artificial hearts, the Carmat is partially made out of cow tissue. Specifically, the components of the heart that touch human blood are made out of this tissue. This new design may be helpful in preventing blood clotting. Artificial hearts which use a plastic interface have been known to develop this problem.
Assuming that the new Carmat design does well in actual human patients, this new artificial heart could revolutionize the industry. Although real human hearts are still a far better option for transplant patients, the demand for them far outstrips the supply. This means that many patients end up with artificial hearts instead. If Carmat’s design performs as intended, they may become the new world leader in artificial heart production and fundamentally change the industry.