Breakthrough bullet train
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A bullet train-inspired technology could sustain a failing heart’s pumping function.
Researchers have introduced the newest generation of “magnetically levitated centrifugal-flow pumps,” which work like high-speed bullet trains that move up to 200 mph without touching the tracks.
These are mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices, which ensure that a failing heart pumps a sufficient amount of blood to maintain proper function.
Featured Video Related“We have the potential to serve many more heart failure patients, adding years to their lives and, importantly, life to their years,” said Mandeep R. Mehra, MD, executive director of the Center for Advanced Heart Disease at Brigham Health in Boston.
“The scalable impact is huge, and we’re just scratching the surface now. In the next five to seven years, unnecessary patient deaths will be a thing of the past,” Mehra added.
Interestingly, the upgraded versions of these devices may also offer a wireless power connection in the near future. The wireless system may protect the patients from additional complications, such as bleeding.
Heart pump consists of a rotating pump
Gone are the days of bulky, high-risk devices. Researchers are turning to maglev heart pumps. These devices leverage cutting-edge technology to mimic natural heart function. The high-tech pumps offer improved performance, durability, and better patient outcomes with severe heart failure.
Moreover, the newly introduced heart pump has the potential to inhibit clot formation and decrease bleeding and other complications that were common in previous devices.
The device consists of a motor and a rotating disk. This disk is an important component that regulates blood circulation. It is entirely suspended in a magnetic field. This means it is held in place and allowed to rotate freely without physical contact with other device parts.
The heart pump operates on the same concept as the magnetic levitation (maglev) technology used in high-speed trains.
In maglev trains, powerful magnets lift and propel the train above the track, reducing friction and allowing for high speeds.
“With no mechanical bearings and wider passages for blood flow, the frictionless pump creates an artificial pulse by rapidly changing rotor speed,” the press release noted.
Future upgrades may improve the pump’s overall capabilities
The design and capabilities of MCS devices have changed as technology has advanced in recent years. Mehra compared the progress of MCS devices to that of automotive technology.
“I think we’ve come from the Model T Ford to a Mercedes Benz or BMW. Now we need to move to the Porsche and Ferrari,” Mehra said.
The maglev cardiac pump has already been implanted in over 10,000 patients.
But the future holds much more potential. Dr Mehra envisions wireless power connections, miniaturization, and fewer external components.
“In the next five years, new pumps will have a fully internalized power line and be wirelessly powered from outside the body, just like our iPhones. We’ll implant these devices, and the patient will be able to forget about them,” he concluded in the press release.
Mehra presented this high-tech heart pump and other developments in mechanical circulatory support at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation’s (ISHLT) Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions held in Prague.
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