SCIENTIFIC EDUCATIONAL CENTER science idea

Medical technologies have reached such a high level that today surgeons are able to perform even heart transplant operations. But there are very few donor organs, which is why patients who need them have to wait for them for a long time and sometimes do not live up to this moment. To increase the chances of life, surgeons often transplant artificial organs to people: engineers have already come up with mechanical versions of ears, eyes, kidneys and other vital parts of the body. One of the most complex organs in the human body is the heart, which is necessary to provide organs with blood rich in oxygen and nutrients. An artificial heart already exists and recently the French company Carmat has released a new version of it. It is equipped with biological valves, thanks to which a person is less likely to have complications, and the device itself works much quieter. This is an important achievement in the field of medicine, so let's study the design of an artificial heart in more detail.

According to the publication Interesting Engineering, the implant almost completely simulates the work of a real heart. This organ pumps blood by contracting four different chambers: the left atrium, the right atrium, the left ventricle and the right ventricle. In healthy people, one cycle (stroke) consists of three short stages:

atrial filling, in which blood from large veins fills the atria (0.10 seconds);

ventricular contractions, in which blood is sent to the organs (0.32 seconds);

a break in which the heart rests (0.4 seconds).

The right ventricle and the left atrium are responsible for the small circle of blood circulation. In a small circle, oxygen-poor venous blood flows from the right ventricle of the heart through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs and is enriched with oxygen. So it turns from venous to arterial and goes through the pulmonary veins to the left atrium.

The left ventricle and the right atrium are responsible for a large circle of blood circulation. This circle is necessary for the blood supply to all organs of the human body, including the lungs.

It is important to note that an artificial heart of any manufacturer can not replace the real one. It only gives you time to wait for a donor organ. In addition to the limited service time of 180 days, the artificial heart has another disadvantage — a person is forced to carry a 4-kilogram box with liquid for its proper operation. Also in the external module there are two rechargeable batteries, which are enough for 4 hours of battery life. Previously, surgeons installed SynCardia artificial hearts with four mechanical valves in patients. The main innovation of the new product from Carmat is that it uses biological valves. Thanks to natural materials, the patient's risk of blood clots is reduced, and the device works much quieter than analogues.

The operation to install an artificial heart takes place in several stages. First, a cardiac prosthesis is inserted into the patient's chest, which is connected to an external module using a cable. The prosthesis consists of the above-mentioned chambers and four biological valves, thanks to which it works like a real heart. The organ is also connected to the main artery of the body by the aorta and the pulmonary artery. For the movement of blood, pumps are used, which, depending on the needs of a person, can pump blood with different forces. And to determine the needs, sensors are used that are attached to the patient's body.

In the end, it turns out that while waiting for a donor organ, patients partially turn into cyborgs. In 2020, Carmat was given permission to sell its artificial heart. Recently, the operation to install it was carried out to a 39-year-old resident of the US state of North Carolina. He was diagnosed with heart failure, because of which he underwent bypass surgery — the creation of a new blood flow path bypassing the affected area of the artery. But this method did not help, so an artificial heart was installed in his body. It is known that at the moment the man is in a stable condition. Such an operation costs 150,000 euros, which in terms of today is equal to about 13 million rubles.

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