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The Texas Heart Institute (THI) has announced a groundbreaking achievement in the field of artificial heart technology, successfully implanting the first fully artificial heart (TAH) using MagLev technology in a living human patient. This collaboration with BiVACOR marks a significant milestone in the development of advanced cardiac support systems.

Designed as a bridge to transplantation, this innovative device is not intended to replace a natural heart permanently but rather to serve as a life-saving measure while patients await a suitable donor heart. While this is not the first successful artificial heart implant—the inaugural procedure was conducted in 1969—it is the first to harness the power of magnetic levitation technology, or MagLev.

This fully artificial heart features a titanium bi-ventricular blood pump and a magnetically levitated rotor, capable of pumping blood throughout the body and temporarily replacing both ventricles of a failing heart. This is the first time scientists have incorporated magnetic levitation technology into an artificial heart.

MagLev technology utilizes magnetic fields to suspend and rotate the rotor without physical contact, minimizing friction and wear. This results in enhanced durability and longevity of mechanical devices. While MagLev is most commonly associated with high-speed railway systems, its application in this groundbreaking medical device showcases the versatility and potential of this technology.