3-MONTH SURVIVAL OF A CALF WITH AN ARTIFICIAL HEART

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 87  (5) , 848-858
Abstract
An artificial heart constructed from Biomer, a polyurethane, kept a calf alive for more than 3 mo. after its natural heart was removed. During this time all of the calf''s vital organs apparently functioned well. Similar animals were kept alive with Jarvik III hearts made from Silastic for 1 mo. The principal problem encountered was the infection centering along the compressed air drive lines to the artificial heart. Another problem was thrombus formation in the artificial heart. Redesigning of the artificial ventricles to improve flow patterns and reduce material discontinuities should be attempted to eliminate localized thrombus formation within the ventricles. The rapid growth of the calf led to examination of the possibility of alternative animal models for future long-term experiments. The most encouraging aspects of this experiment were the long survival time of the calf and the very low level of blood damage caused by the artificial heart.

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