Carmate has developed an artificial heart
2023.01.08 13:33
Carmate has developed an artificial heart
Budrigannews.com – One in five people in developed nations will experience heart failure in their lifetime. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.
A transplant is the only option for treatment in the worst cases. Patients can, nevertheless, wait for years on a waiting list because more hearts fail than are donated.
The French company Carmat has created a “total artificial heart”—a device that replaces the entire heart until a donor can be found—to assist those in need of a transplant.
It is powered by two battery packs that provide approximately four hours of charge before the device needs to be connected to a mains power supply. It has a shape that is similar to a human heart and weighs 4 kilograms.
An algorithm controls the blood flow in real time after sensors detect blood pressure. According to Carmat CEO Stéphane Piat, “it works like a human heart, so if the patient walks, the blood flow increases, and if the patient is at rest, the blood flow is stable and low.”
To reduce the risk of adverse reactions, the components that come into contact with the patient’s blood are made of a material that is compatible with the human body. According to Piat, the device does not require any upkeep after being surgically implanted.
In trials, the device has been given to 19 patients so far. In December, Carmat received a CE marking, which allowed the company to sell the product in the European Union. It was given permission to begin a feasibility study last month in order to obtain approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.
By the end of June, Carmat hopes to begin selling its artificial heart in Germany. Piat wants Carmat to have produced 20 hearts by the end of the year. These hearts will be sold to hospitals for over €160,000 ($190,000) each. The current design is too big for most women, despite its suitability for most men.
Although French surgeon Alain Carpentier started working on Carmat’s artificial heart 25 years ago, the company only came into existence in 2008. Over €250 million (about $300 million) in funding has been provided to the business, which now employs around 190 people.
According to Imperial College London professor of cardiology Martin Cowie, researchers have been attempting for decades to develop a mechanical pump that could completely replace a heart. He claims that previous attempts frequently resulted in infections, strokes, and blood clots, but Carmat’s materials are a step in the right direction.
He goes on to say that the design has an intriguing idea. I like their ideas, but time will tell,” he tells CNN Business.
According to IDTechEx, a market research company, the cardiovascular disease technology market will be worth more than $40 billion by 2030.
Although other total artificial hearts are in the works, Arizona-based SynCardia is the only one currently available for purchase. Instead of autonomously adapting to the patient’s physical activity, it has a fixed beat rate.
CorWave, a different French company, is working on a device for people with less severe heart failure. Instead of replacing the entire heart, it helps pump blood from one of the four chambers.
According to CorWave’s chief executive officer Louis de Lillers, the company has received approximately €80 million (or $196 million) in funding, including €15 million (or $17.9 million) from the European Commission, and it is preparing for clinical trials in Europe and the United States.
There are already a few devices that help pump blood from one chamber to another, but de Lillers says that CorWave uses new technology to be more responsive to a patient’s movements.
He asserts, “We are able to adapt the flow to the patient’s needs and are able to track the patient’s activity.”
Although Carmat and CorWave will initially market their products as temporary solutions for transplant patients, the long-term objective of both companies is to produce permanent devices.
According to Piat, “the vision is for it to be used as… a device for life.” However, this requires the collection of data over a longer period of time, which takes more time.
Cowie is happy to see businesses trying out new strategies because she thinks that many people could benefit from them.
He asserts, “I believe we could reach the stage where we could honestly say to patients that you’re as likely to do well with a mechanical pump as you are with a transplant.”
