Producing artificial heart with aviation technology

French scientists have applied the technology of manufacturing satellites and airplanes to create an artificial version of the heart capable of responding promptly to the needs of the body.

Previous artificial hearts could not change the pumping speed themselves and only one pump valve. The heart, made by French experts, has a heart-like structure, with two pump valves to push blood into the lungs and other organs.

French scientists use natural materials, such as polymer and pig tissue. These materials do not cause negative effects such as body excretion and coagulation (often found in heart transplants and other organs). Therefore, many doctors hope that the French artificial heart can help patients throw away anti-rejection and anticoagulant drugs.

The new device, on display at a press conference in Paris on October 27, is being tested on sheep body for 3 to 6 months. Human trials will be conducted in 2 years. Manufacturers hope that, one day, their artificial heart can help many heart failure patients survive without surgery.

The French artificial heart has two pumping valves like the real heart.(Photo: AP)

Many American companies have produced artificial hearts, while Japanese and Korean scientists are also working to find better versions. But the French artificial heart is the first device that can identify the needs of patients and respond to them in time. Carmat, its manufacturing company, is a subsidiary of Airbus, Europe's largest aircraft manufacturer.

" The human body and the plane work on the same principle, " said Patrick Coulombier, production director of Carmat. He added that tiny sensors to measure air pressure and altitude for aircraft and satellites are also present in Carmat's artificial heart. They help the heart keep track of many parameters, such as blood pumping speed and diaphragm pressure. The presence of a mini sensor system allows an artificial heart to respond better to changes in a person's body, such as a sudden increase or decrease in blood volume.

The team said that the first object they target is people with pain or heart failure. Its expected price is about $ 192,000, while the price of America's most advanced artificial heart sells for $ 250,000.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in humans. Every year, there are several tens of thousands of people doing heart transplant surgery worldwide and the number of people waiting for the heart is increasing day by day. So far, people have had artificial heart transplants to maintain life in the patient's body until a true heart is found. Dr. Ottavio Alfieri, spokesperson for the European Heart Association, said that France's artificial heart would work longer than previous versions.