Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Historical Perspective
  • Published:

The total artificial heart

Over the past 50 years, significant advances have been made in the development of total artificial hearts (TAH). These advances have most recently led to a clinical trial of a unique, transcutaneously powered TAH.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: First implantation of a total artificial heart in 1969.
Figure 2
Figure 3: The AbioCor TAH: the first totally implantable TAH.

References

  1. Barnard, C.N. The operation. A human cardiac transplant: an interim report of a successful operation performed at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town. S. Afr. Med. J. 41, 1271–1274 (1967).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. LeGallois, C.J.J. Experience on the Principle of Life (Thomas, Philadelphia, 1813). (Translation of LeGallois, C.J.J., Experience sur la Principe de la Vie. Paris, 1812.)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Lindbergh, C.A. An apparatus for the culture of whole organs. J. Exp. Med. 62, 409–431 (1935).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Shumacker, H.B. Development of the heart-lung machine. in The Evolution of Cardiac Surgery. (Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gibbs, O.S. An artificial heart. J. Pharm. Exper. Therap. 38, 197–215 (1930).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Demikhov, V.P. Experimental basis for replacement of the heart with a mechanical device in acute experiments. Biull. Eskp. Biol. Med. 32, 22–24 (1951).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Gibbon, J.H. Application of a heart and lung apparatus to cardiac surgery. Minn. Med. 37, 171–180 (1954).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Akutsu, T. & Kolff, W.J. Permanent substitute for valves and hearts. Trans. Am. Soc. Artif. Intern. Organs 4, 230 (1958).

  9. Shumacker, H.B. Ventricular assist devices and the artificial heart in The Evolution of Cardiac Surgery. (Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Watson, J.T. in Report of the Workshop on the Artificial Heart: Planning for Evolving Technologies. (Ed. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 27–32 (NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, 1994).

  11. Akutsu, T., Mirkowitch, V., Topaz, S. & Kolff, W.J. Silastic sac type of artificial heart and its use in calves. Trans. Am. Soc. Artif. Intern. Organs. 9, 281–285 (1963).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Liotta, D. et al. Artificial heart in the chest: preliminary report. Trans. Am. Soc. Artif. Int. Organs. 7, 318–322 (1961).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Cooley, D.A., Belmonte, B.A., Zeis, L.B. & Schnur, S. Surgical repair of ruptured interventricular septum following acute myocardial infarction. Surgery. 41, 930–937 (1957).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Cooley, D.A., Hallman, G.L., Bloodwell, R.D., Nora, J.J. & Leachman, R.D. Cardiac transplantation as palliation of advanced heart disease. Arch. Surg. 98, 619–625 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Cooley, D.A. et al. Orthotopic cardiac prosthesis for two-staged cardiac replacement. Am. J. Cardiol. 24, 723–730 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Cooley, D.A., Akutsu, T., Norman, J.C., Serrato, M.A. & Frazier, O.H. Total artificial heart in two-staged cardiac transplantation. Cardiovasc. Dis. Bull. Tex. Heart Inst. 8, 305–319 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Frazier, O.H. et al. Mechanical circulatory support in the transplant population. in Support and Replacement of the Failing Heart. 147–167 (Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, 1996).

  18. DeVries, W.C. The permanent artificial heart. Four case reports. JAMA 259, 849–859 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kung, R.T.V., Yu, L.S., Ochs, B., Parnis, S. & Frazier, O.H. Atrial hydraulic shunt in a total artificial heart (TAH): a balance mechanism for the bronchial shunt. ASAIO J. 39, 213–217 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Willman, V.L. (chair). Expert panel review of the NHLBI total artificial heart (TAH) program, June 1998–November 1999. 2–3 (NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, 1999).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cooley, D. The total artificial heart. Nat Med 9, 108–111 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0103-108

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0103-108

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing