Electrical energy converters for practical human total artificial hearts--an opinion in support of electropneumatic...

Until recently, most artificial hearts have served as research tools to acquire further knowledge necessary ultimately to design practical systems for human use. Transcutaneous systems or percutaneous systems utilizing permanently implanted energy converters, batteries, and electronics packages have a number of substantial problems that would not exist if most system elements were kept outside the body. These problems include physiologic control, fit and fixation, foreign body infection, hermetic sealing, cable insulation and fatigue, inherent system complexity, stringent requirements for maintenance-free operation with long-term high reliability, and high cost. Percutaneous systems, particularly those in which only the blood pump is implanted, are an attractive choice for practical systems in the near future. A wearable, battery-powered electropneumatic total heart system should be developed.