The US government funded a project to create a totally artificial heart in 1964. Bioengineers thought that a fully functional totally artificial heart would have been created within the next 10 years.
In 1964 the Liotta TAH was used to bridge the period between the need for a transplant and the provision of a heart from a donor. The totally artificial heart kept the patient alive for 64 hours, at which point the patient received a transplant and died 32 hours later.
In 1981 the Akatsu TAH was also used as a bridge heart for a period of 9 days, although the patient dies 9 days after the final transplant this was still an improvement.
The Jarvic-7 came along in 1982 and was fitted to the first patient, Barney Clark, in an attempt to replace his heart and he lived for 112 days after the transplant. The second patient to be fitted with the Jarvic-7 TAH was William Schroeder, although he lived for 620 days he still experienced problems with the Jarvic-7
1985 saw the Phoenix TAH used as a bridge heart to a transplant, only to have the patient die 12 hours after the final transplant.
2000; Abiomed will implant a brain-dead person with a new electro-hydaulic heart, as a finale to 10 years of research
2001
SynCardia Systems, Inc. is formed by Dr. Marvin J. Slepian along with biomedical engineer Richard G. Smith, MSEE, CEE and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jack Copeland with private funding to commercialize the CardioWest Total Artificial Heart and to continue the IDE clinical study.
2002
The pivotal clinical study of the CardioWest temporary Total Artificial Heart is completed.
2003
The Heart and Diabetes Center NRW in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, pioneers the clinical study of the Excor portable driver for powering the Total Artificial Heart. The portable driver enables stable European patients to be discharged from the hospital while they wait for a matching donor heart for transplant.
2004
Findings from the