The Italian Artificial Heart Program

Abstract: In Italy, artificial heart development was promoted by virtue of a special program on technological and industrial development in areas related to cardiology and cardiosurgery. A first prototype series of electromechanical total artificial hearts (TAHs) and ventricular assist devices (VADs), with ball–screw–based actuation technology, has been developed, and preliminary bench tests and short–term animal implant experiments were performed. The project started with analysis and development of existing TAH and VAD models, and it included a fill–sensor–free control scheme and anatomical fitting studies using a three–dimensional computer model of the chest cavity. Second–generation prototypes are currently being developed, and they are scheduled for mediumterm bench and in vivo testing by early 1994.