Siddhi Jain
Med-Vet Club
Blog Article
10th November 2022
Waiting for a heart transplant takes a long time,
ranging from a few months to even over a year.
A few patients never receive their transplants
and a chance to renew their lives.
The number of donor hearts available every year is barely enough compared to the number of people awaiting transplants. Another important variable is finding the right donor match with the same blood type and heart size. There is always the risk of rejection of the transplanted organ, and the immunosuppressive medications always pose increased chances of infections. Researchers have been trying to tackle these odds and find practical solutions to improve the lives of thousands.
A heart beats 30–40 million times every year. A mechanical device throbbing with such a high frequency will wear out easily. Mechanical hearts tend to break down rapidly. Overcoming all these challenges to create a long-lasting heart wasn’t easy.
“I had no inclination that it would turn into what it’s turned into now, none at all… It was just a crazy idea that I thought somebody else must have already had, or that might move the field along and then somebody would take it from there.” -Daniel Timms
BiVACOR is Dr. Daniel Timms’ invention. His father, Gary, a plumber, suffered a heart attack back in 2001. This was when the problem of heart transplant shortages became very clear to him and motivated him to develop artificial hearts. While still a student, Timms started working on a prototype using 3D printing and plumbing equipment.
He designed an entirely new original device known as the BiVACOR, a Total Artificial Heart (TAH) capable of revolutionizing the way artificial hearts are used and how heart failure is treated. Rather than trying to replicate the mechanism of the heart, he found a solution by replacing the heart with a device designed to take over the complete function and work of a failing heart. The device uses a solitary spinning disc that circulates the blood through the lungs and the body. It uses a sophisticated rotary pump that levitates between magnets, leaving virtually zero chance of mechanical wear and tear. It has the capability of modulating pulsatile flow based on energy requirements.
Having a single levitating moving part enables the heart to be made from ultra-robust titanium. Titanium shows excellent corrosion resistance and has non-magnetic properties, which are useful for MRIs.
The device has been successfully tested in a bovine model alongside NASA. The device was reportedly tested on a cow, which not only survived but also managed to run on a treadmill.
The company also undertook a multicentre anatomical and virtual fitting study of the BiVACOR. They recruited 10 patients from two heart transplant centers where a sterilized titanium model of the device was inserted into the patient’s pericardial cavity post-heart extract, before implantation of the actual donor heart. They recorded measurements, removed the device, and implanted the donor heart, after which they reconstructed a 3D device from the computed tomography chest scans to simulate a virtual fitting.
Implantation of a TAH is a viable treatment option for patients with fatal cases of heart failure who need support while waiting for a transplant or for those who don’t qualify for a transplant. Removing the ventricles allows the device to fully replace the biological heart.
The BiVACOR has several advantages and qualities, making it a feasible replacement for the human heart. It has a centrifugal pump providing high flows for effective movement and activity, meaning it can adapt its output based on the physiological demands of the body.It can also be made small enough to fit a child and powerful enough to sustain a physically active adult.
The centrifugal pump is powered by a small external controller and batteries, which connect to the artificial heart with a wire through the skin. It is hoped that the technology can be combined with wireless charging technology so that the batteries can be implanted into the patient rather than needing to be carried out externally.
The mechanics of the BiVACOR are fascinating. It has specially designed pump blades that allow for high flows while consuming little power. Its patented left-right flow-balancing system adapts to a patient’s physiology. Magnetic levitation provides precise and stable operation. Large gaps within the pump reduce blood-cell damage and avoid clotting.
The results have been promising and attracted funding and grants amounting to $22 million for BiVACOR to begin its human trials. In early 2021, BiVACOR closed a series B funding round for a total of $19 million and received an additional $3 million from the National Institutes of Health as a small business grant.
The BiVACOR has raised hopes that artificial hearts can end the nerve-racking search for donor hearts and give patients a chance at life again. Along with millions of dollars in funding, the design has gained invaluable support from the Texas Heart Institute, known for leading the world in state-of-the-art cardiac healthcare.
This technology can have many potential applications including water pump management systems. Magnetic levitation has brought about profound changes in train transportation systems. Each discovery fuels another and being able to find the right links can bring accelerated growth and progress in our society.
Though such miraculous breakthroughs are paving their way into our lives and society, caring for our health, exercising caution, and maintaining fitness are extremely essential. Being empathetic and trying to ease the pain and suffering of those around us can be the right kind of motivation towards more innovative breakthroughs in the biomedical sector.
“Gravely ill patients will go into the operating room with failing biological hearts beating feebly in their chests, and come out of surgery with smoothly functioning BiVACOR artificial hearts whirring away… If these patients can rise from their hospital beds, hug their family members, and continue their lives for many years to come, we’ll have taken a great step forward in the long quest for a total artificial heart.” -DANIEL TIMMS and his Colleagues (IEEE Spectrum)
Affordability and accessibility of the BiVACOR must be assessed seriously. It shouldn’t be a privilege of the rich, but a kind of blessing to all the people fighting for their lives with faith that very soon, they will be alright. Health is our greatest asset and cannot be compromised.
CITATIONS:
1. “Artificial Hearts Made from Magnets and Titanium Could Save Many Lives.” BBC Science Focus Magazine,
2. BiVACOR. “Bivacor.” BiVACOR,
3. Emmanuel S;Jansz P;McGiffin D;Kure C;Watson A;Connellan M;Granger E;Iyer A;Timms D;Hayward C; “Anatomical Human Fitting of the BIVACOR Total Artificial Heart.” Artificial Organs, U.S. National Library of Medicine,
4. Emmanuel, Sam, et al. “Anatomical Human Fitting of the BIVACOR Total Artificial Heart.” Artificial Organs, vol. 46, no. 1, 2021, pp. 50–56.,
5. Park, Andrea. “Bivacor Lands $22m to Begin Human Trials of Its Magnetic Artificial Heart.” Fierce Biotech, 20 May 2021,
6. “This Artificial Heart Uses Magnets and Spinning Disks to Reinvent the Heart.” Freethink, 21 July 2021,
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