Soft Artificial Heart

The artificial hearts that are currently approved by the FDA consist of rigid devices attached to external pumps, which push fluid through the body. But engineers at Cornell University have been working on a design that can interact more organically with internal tissues.

Inspired by the emerging field of soft robotics and artificial muscles, the new device is made of a porous foam covered by a flexible silicone coating. An external pump pushes air and fluids through the walls to simulate the beating of a typical human heart and move blood through the vessels in a more natural way.

There are several hurdles yet to be overcome prior to testing the device in vitro. For example, although the artificial heart is capable of pumping adequate volumes of fluid, the rate at which it does so is limited by the current pneumatic design. The foam is also susceptible to tearing if the heart overinflates, so further work needs to be done to improve wall strength. However, with 123,000 patients awaiting a transplant, and too few donor hearts to go around, there’s no question that the new device could fill an urgent need.