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'Freedom Driver' Artificial Heart Frees Father From Hospital Sentence

by Warren Riddle on May 30, 2010 at 05:00 PM

Approximately 2,000 hearts become available for transplants every year, but the waiting list of recipients consistently numbers close to 3,000. That shortage leaves many ailing people with no choice but to wait and hope for their names to be called. To combat the agonizing uncertainty, several international organizations continue to focus on developing artificial hearts that can at least help candidates endure the limbo period, which frequently lasts a year or more.

According to New Scientist, more than 800 people currently require and employ the current forms of bulky, "total artificial hearts." The components of the devices, particularly the weighty "Big Blue" air-pressurizer, have relegated users to hospital rooms -- until May 3rd, anyway. On that day, SynCardia's new "Freedom Driver" enabled 43-year-old father Charles Okeke to finally end his two-year hospital stay, and return home to his three children, burdened only by a small backpack.

The FDA subsequently gave SynCardia permission to equip 60 more patients with its compact device, but only half will be discharged. Doctors and scientists will still need a control group for research purposes, in order to learn more about infection possibilities and any other issues. The group probably shouldn't rest on its laurels and take too long with that trial period, though. The renowned Dr. Alain Carpentier attests that his Carmat group's implantable artificial heart will be ready for clinical trials next year.

With such competition and the impressive, rapid progression of other artificial body parts, the waiting list predicament -- and the accompanying accusations of favoritism and elitism -- may soon be completely negated. [From: New Scientist]

Tags: artificialheart, Carmat, freedom driver, freedom driver heart, FreedomDriver, FreedomDriverHeart, health, heart, hearttransplant, medical, science, syncardia, top, transplant

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