At the National Research Center for Cardiac Surgery in Astana, Kazakhstan, doctors have successfully implanted a ventricular assist device (VAD) that is wirelessly charged into a 24-year-old man.
A VAD is a mechanical pump that’s used to maintain heart function and blood flow for those with cardiovascular diseases. Unlike conventional VADs, which are plugged into either a power outlet or an external battery via a hole in the patient’s abdomen, the new VAD developed by Israeli firm Leviticus Cardio is capable of being charged electromagnetically.
“The driveline to power contemporary ventricular assist devices exiting the skin is associated with infection, and requires a holstered performance of the cardiac pump which reduces overall quality of life,” said the doctors in a paper published on The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. “Attempts to eliminate the driveline using transcutaneous energy transfer systems have been explored but have not succeeded in viable widespread application.”
“The unique engineering of the coplanar energy transfer system is characterized by two large rings utilizing a coil within the coil topology ensuring robust resonance energy transfer while allowing for a substantial (over 6 hours) unholstered circulatory support powered by an implantable battery source,” explained the doctors. “We report the first known human experience with this novel technology, coupled to a continuous-flow assist left ventricular assist device, in two consecutive patients evaluated with the primary endpoint of system performance at thirty days post implantation.”
With the new VAD, the patient by the name of Ismail Tursunov who had previously been experiencing end-stage heart failure, is now enabled to freely move about without the fear of power outages, the external batteries dying, and or the probability of infection from the hole in the abdomen.
Using a vest to recharge, the VAD is reported to last eight hours from a single charge. With a wrist monitor used to keep monitor the VADs battery life, there is an internal vibration alarm that is triggered in the case of dangerously low battery power.
In the case of malfunction and failure of the wireless charging system, Tursunov has also been implanted with an internal power cable that is connected to the skull-mounted socket located behind the ear so that the VAD can be charged with a wire.
In a published video, Tursunov can be seen working out in a gym, swimming in a pool, and walking around in a mall. “The patient has been discharged from the hospital and is back leading a normal life,” said Leviticus Cardio in the statement.
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