Steel Heart- Artificial Heart Prototype

Let's face it, we eat too many bacon cheeseburgers. Heart health is a leading medical issue in developed countries. However, technology development is slow to bring new ideas into the field of pump technology that can be used for cardiac assist and replacement.

We're building a prototype pump with the intention of advancing health care quality for surgical patients needing cardiac assist equipment. The technology is based on ferrofluid- ferrite nanoparticles suspended in a base liquid. Our prototype won't be tested on animals. We will design, build, and test the pump in the lab.

Current pump technology is not optimal for cardiac application because it causes mechanical damage to the blood cells (hemolysis). Centrifugal pump and rotary turbo pump designs require high dosage of anticoagulant agents to prevent clotting from occurring due to trauma in the pump unit. Dangerous conditions of coagulation may lead to post operative problems such as stroke.

Our goal is to investigate an improved pump technology that minimizes damage to blood tissue and can replace antiquated pump technology to improve the safety of cardiac assist- and eventually- stand alone artificial heart designs.
We're taking a unique approach and exploring the applicability of magnetic fluid technology to mimic muscular behavior. We hope that this research will contribute to replacing the century-old pump technologies still present in modern operating rooms.