Not A Car Engine Part, This Is What A 3D-Printed Titanium Heart Looks Like & It's Brilliant
Without effective 3D printing methods for biomechanical replacements, scientists are now turning to titanium designs
In the future, 3D-printing might allow us to simply print replacement parts for our bodies from organic materials the same way we¡¯d manufacture a part for a car. Until then, doctors and scientists are going to have to find other ways to improve transplant scenarios.
Images courtesy: OHSU
In this vein, one interesting prototype comes from researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). It involves a titanium alloy-coated construct that kinda looks like an engine part, but it¡¯s actually an advanced artificial heart. The guys behind the prototype hope it¡¯ll one day be the first permanent completely artificial heart, and it could help save the lives of thousands of people who die of heart failure each year.
As opposed to current day designs, OHSU¡¯s heart doesn¡¯t have any valves and is in fact a model of simplicity. Instead, two of the heart¡¯s ventricles are instead replaced by a single titanium tube. Inside this is a hollow titanium alloy-coated rod that moves back and forth, pumping blood to the lungs and beyond. The entire model is powered by a combined controller and a battery pack that can be recharged. Right now, it¡¯s designed so that users would carry this power unit on an external belt, but the eventual plan is to implant a battery underneath the skin that could be recharged from the outside.
The human heart beats about four million times a year, so the simplified design of the artificial heart helps ensure that there¡¯s less chance of wear and tear or malfunction. The researchers are currently testing the heart on sheep but, if the tests are a success, hope to commence human trials soon.
