HOUSTON – Surgeons and engineers have unveiled the prototype for a new artificial heart that could save countless lives.
"It's been such a learning experience for us such a rewarding experience because what we're working on is going to have an impact at some point on thousands of people across the globe," said Ron Webb a manager at Cameron Manufacturing & Engineering.
For decades, surgeons have tried to develop an artificial device that can weather the wear-and-tear hearts take day after day. Using the same flow technology used in oil drilling, they created a continuous flow artificial heart.
"It's going to last much much longer, said Dr. Bill Cohn with the Texas Heart Institute. "A similar device kept a gravely ill Houston man alive for nearly six weeks last year."
With 400,000 Americans needing heart transplants, and only about 2,000 available, the artificial heart is a potential game changer.