Maglev titanium heart inside the chest of a live patient

Device basics & weight

• Artificial heart uses a dual centrifugal “maglev” rotor, likely similar to slice-motor/bearingless pumps used in industry.
• Another article cited in the thread pegs device weight at ~650 g, perceived as heavy but comparable to the density of a real heart.
• It is powered via an external driveline exiting the chest to a 4 kg controller pack with two ~5‑hour batteries, or wall power.
• Not the first maglev blood pump: similar technology exists in LVADs, Impella, and industrial “wet rotor” pumps; here the novelty is total artificial heart use.

Temporary bridge vs permanent solution

• Current positioning is as a bridge to transplant, not a lifelong replacement.
• Reasons discussed: blood damage (shear, pressure, heat), clot and thrombosis risk, need for long-term anticoagulation, and stasis zones in pump geometries.
• Mechanical failure is catastrophic (“if it dies, you die”), whereas biological hearts often fail gradually with warning.
• External power and drivelines impose infection risk and lifestyle limitations.

Pulsatile vs continuous flow

• Base mode is continuous flow with no valves and no pulse; newer work adds speed modulation to simulate a heartbeat.
• Concerns: the body evolved for pulsatile flow; arteries, valves, lymph, and possibly neurology may depend on it.
• Reported issues with non-pulsatile devices include GI arteriovenous malformations and “pump head”–type effects.
• Others note that capillary flow is often modeled as steady, so the long-term necessity of a pulse remains an open question.

Control software, reliability, and safety

• Rotor position is actively controlled via sensors and electromagnetic actuators adjusting many times per second.
• This is seen as high-stakes embedded software; questions raised about what happens in a rotor “crash,” but details are unclear.
• Comparison made to aviation: airliners aim for dual-fault tolerance, while even Class III implants are only required to be single-fault tolerant.

Surgical integration

• Connection to arteries uses “sewing cuffs” and short synthetic grafts (e.g., polyester velour, silicone), sutured in place.
• Bioglue may be used sparingly to fix minor suture issues but not as the primary attachment method.

Ethics, alternatives, and human enhancement

• Debate over xenograft pig hearts vs artificial hearts; some expect xenografts to advance faster, others prefer non-animal solutions.
• Animal welfare and vegan perspectives appear but are considered lower priority until reliable artificial organs exist.
• Some are enthusiastic about a gradual move toward “cyborg” bodies; others argue human biology is already highly optimized and favor regeneration/bioengineering over permanent mechanical replacement.

Living without a pulse

• Patients with continuous-flow pumps reportedly have no palpable pulse, which can confuse first responders and requires explicit communication (tattoos and device signaling are suggested).
• People speculate about psychological and systemic effects, and whether any subtle body processes are “clocked” off the heartbeat, but data is limited and long-term impacts remain unclear.