The same technology that created the huge pumps in minutes transported hundreds of tons of fuel into the engines of the shuttle, to help children who need heart transplants to survive in anticipation of the donor organ.
The principle of operation and general construction details of shuttle main fuel pumps were suitable for duplication in a small device connected to the heart of a sick person. Device has been implanted in more than two hundred adults. And now the U.S. government approved its use in children aged 5 to 16 years. The first such operation took place recently in Houston.
Especially difficult was to achieve elimination of blood clotting, as well as - injury to blood cells - a big problem for artificial blood pumps. And this is the first time allowed to put artificial ventricle to young children in the chest that just would not fit the old model.
Also - with this product twice decreased the time of surgery, thereby reducing the risk of complications. Moreover, "cosmic" blood pump was a third cheaper counterparts, which expanded the circle of people he can not save.
The device moves the blood of a continuous stream, rather than pulses, as the true heart and the hearts of numerous variants of the artificial, which are implanted in patients previously.
There are no special valves and pumping chambers. Impeller - the only moving part of the pump.
It has six blades, blades with eight magnets hermetically sealed in each of them. Electrical winding in the pump casing causes the wheel to rotate. His speed - 7500 - 12 500 rpm.
All components are placed in a titanium tube. Inlet of the pump is attached to a hollow needle is placed into the left ventricle of the heart. Pump outlet is connected to the aorta.
Performance apparatus is very high - more than 10 liters per minute. And this is enough for adults. The new pump allows people awaiting a heart transplant, to more or less normal lives and not wallow in a hospital bed.
The patient carries with him a small bag controller with batteries, designed for 6-8 hours. The controller can give alarm while reducing battery in case of any fault or careless electronic disconnecting the cable coming from the bag into the patient's body.
Here - the charger with a set of several spare batteries. "Space" pump also helped buy time for patients with weakened hearts. Doctors know that in some cases such "help" heal the heart, so that generally disappear need a transplant.
Note, the scientists have not yet managed to create a compact, reliable and durable artificial heart, which could be put in place now. So that a person with a mechanical pump is guaranteed to have lived up to the natural end of life. In the near future these technologies is not expected.
The principle of operation and general construction details of shuttle main fuel pumps were suitable for duplication in a small device connected to the heart of a sick person. Device has been implanted in more than two hundred adults. And now the U.S. government approved its use in children aged 5 to 16 years. The first such operation took place recently in Houston.
Especially difficult was to achieve elimination of blood clotting, as well as - injury to blood cells - a big problem for artificial blood pumps. And this is the first time allowed to put artificial ventricle to young children in the chest that just would not fit the old model.
Also - with this product twice decreased the time of surgery, thereby reducing the risk of complications. Moreover, "cosmic" blood pump was a third cheaper counterparts, which expanded the circle of people he can not save.
The device moves the blood of a continuous stream, rather than pulses, as the true heart and the hearts of numerous variants of the artificial, which are implanted in patients previously.
There are no special valves and pumping chambers. Impeller - the only moving part of the pump.
It has six blades, blades with eight magnets hermetically sealed in each of them. Electrical winding in the pump casing causes the wheel to rotate. His speed - 7500 - 12 500 rpm.
All components are placed in a titanium tube. Inlet of the pump is attached to a hollow needle is placed into the left ventricle of the heart. Pump outlet is connected to the aorta.
Performance apparatus is very high - more than 10 liters per minute. And this is enough for adults. The new pump allows people awaiting a heart transplant, to more or less normal lives and not wallow in a hospital bed.
The patient carries with him a small bag controller with batteries, designed for 6-8 hours. The controller can give alarm while reducing battery in case of any fault or careless electronic disconnecting the cable coming from the bag into the patient's body.
Here - the charger with a set of several spare batteries. "Space" pump also helped buy time for patients with weakened hearts. Doctors know that in some cases such "help" heal the heart, so that generally disappear need a transplant.
Note, the scientists have not yet managed to create a compact, reliable and durable artificial heart, which could be put in place now. So that a person with a mechanical pump is guaranteed to have lived up to the natural end of life. In the near future these technologies is not expected.
