A new technology could be a lifesaver for individuals with heart failure awaiting transplant

 

Currently, ventricular assist devices (VADs) can be used to improve the health of patients with end-stage heart failure awaiting a transplant.

 

VADs work by pumping blood from the heart and pushing it around the body. To work, the blood has to leave the confines of the blood vessels and travel through tubes and rotors.

 

Because of this contact with foreign material, the patient needs to take anticoagulants. These drugs can make VADs a viable solution, but they also increase the risk of stroke  by 20 percent.

 

Besides VADs, cardiac sleeves are another option; they sit around the heart and squeeze it in order to replicate muscular contractions. These heart compression interventions are also far from perfect and, until recently, had been all but abandoned.

 

A team of biomedical engineers and clinicians from Harvard in Cambridge, MA, and Boston Children’s Hospital has designed and tested a robotic sleeve that twists and compresses the heart in the same way that healthy ventricles would.

 

Although the classical image of a robot is a solid structure capable of withstanding interstellar warfare, the robots of modern medical research are the polar opposite. Made from elastomers, fibers, and other filler materials, a new wave of so-called soft robots are able to interact intimately and delicately with human anatomy.

 

Made exclusively from non-rigid, biocompatible materials, this groundbreaking cardiac sleeve sits outside of the heart, removing the need for anticoagulants while minimizing infection risks. It uses pneumatically powered “air muscles,” called actuators.

 

The soft robotic actuators are essentially artificial muscles. The thin silicon sleeve is tethered to an external pump that uses air to power the actuators.

 

One section of the sleeve twists and the other squeezes, mimicking both ventricles of the heart. Earlier cardiac sleeves were limited in that they could only squeeze.

 

At this stage the concept was tested on pigs with the ability to restore the heart to 97 % of its original cardiac output.

 

Published in the journal Science Translational Medicineby Dr. Nikolay Vasilyev

All Best Israeli Doctors for You – 2024

Call-Center for an appointment at leading doctors of Israel

Contact us if you are not sure about your health condition or diagnosis / faced with the choice of a treatment option / need second opinion of a reputable Israeli doctor  / a reliable, clear medical advice / second opinion on biopsy results / MRI / PET / CT scan / advanced medical treatment in best hospitals in Israel.

We will promptly coordinate a doctor consultation and medical treatment in Israel.

Tel / Whatsapp / Viber +972 54 803 45 32 info@resultmed.com

*Authorized by Israel Ministry of Health
מס פניה:#622301
 

In Israel you'll find

  • ADVANCED Medical Standard
  • INNOVATIONS (6th place globally)
  • Newest FDA Protocols
  • HIGH Treatment Outcomes Rate

!מבקרים באתר היקרים, אנא שימו לב

.אנחנו חברה תיירות מרפא. אנו נותנים שרות פרטי לתיירים בלבד