Jarvik artificial heart

Jarvik Artificial Heart

The Jarvik Artificial Heart is a type of artificial heart that was developed by Robert Jarvik in the late 20th century. It is a significant development in the field of cardiology and biomedical engineering, providing a life-saving solution for patients with end-stage heart failure.

History

The Jarvik Artificial Heart, also known as the Jarvik-7, was developed by Robert Jarvik in 1982. Jarvik was a medical researcher and bioengineer who had previously worked on the development of other artificial heart devices. The Jarvik-7 was the first such device to be successfully implanted in a human patient, a milestone in the history of cardiac surgery and medical technology.

Design and Function

The Jarvik Artificial Heart is a pneumatically powered, bi-ventricular device. It replaces both ventricles of the patient's heart and is connected to an external air compressor via tubes that pass through the patient's skin. The compressor provides the pneumatic power needed to pump blood through the device and into the patient's circulatory system.

The Jarvik heart is made from a combination of polyurethane and titanium, materials chosen for their durability and biocompatibility. The device is designed to mimic the natural function of the heart as closely as possible, providing a continuous flow of blood to the body's organs and tissues.

Clinical Use and Impact

The first implantation of the Jarvik Artificial Heart took place in 1982, in a patient named Barney Clark. Clark lived for 112 days with the device, demonstrating its potential as a life-saving treatment for end-stage heart failure.

Since then, the Jarvik heart has been used in numerous clinical trials and has been implanted in hundreds of patients worldwide. It has also paved the way for the development of other types of artificial heart devices, contributing to the advancement of cardiac surgery and biomedical engineering.

Despite its successes, the Jarvik heart has also faced criticism and controversy, particularly regarding issues of patient quality of life and the high cost of the device and its associated care. Nevertheless, it remains a significant development in the field of artificial heart technology.

See Also

• Artificial heart
• Heart transplantation
• Cardiac surgery
• Biomedical engineering