SCIENTISTS SAY they have a working prototype of a fully artificial heart, which beats almost exactly like the real thing using electronic sensors to regulate heart rate and blood flow, which is ready for human clinical trials.
Developers Carmat are now applying for approval from the French authorities before carrying out clinical trials.
Some heart experts have warned that it is still early because previous attempts to use artificial hearts in humans have failed.
Heart specialist Alain Carpentier, who developed the prototype said that it had taken him 15 years to perfect.
“I couldn’t stand seeing young, active people dying aged 40 from massive heart attacks” he said.
The heart is designed to be as similar as possible to the human heart and is covered in especially treated tissue to avoid rejection by the body’s immune system.
It is hoped that the artificial heart could benefit up to 20,000 patients worldwide who are unable to receive a life-saving heart transplant because of a shortage of donor organs.
