Biorobotic heart shows promise for research, surgical training

Editor's Note: 

Surgeons successfully tested three fixes for a leaky heart valve on a biological pig heart fitted with a silicone robotic pump, HealthDay reported on January 11.

According to the article, the biorobotic heart offers significant advantages over existing heart simulators. These include a longer shelf life, greater ability to capture the full complexity of the organ, and less expensive testing. The device is also promising for researchers studying heart conditions, as well as medical students, device engineers, and even patients.

Citing a report published the day prior in the journal Cell Press, the article describes how the biorobotic heart was fitted with a damaged mitral valve to enable surgeons to successfully test three different remedies for mitral valve regurgitation: anchoring with artificial chords, installing a prosthetic valve replacement, and installing an implant. The biorobotic heart also allowed the team to collect real-time data during surgery.

Following this success, the research team is reportedly working on faster build times and longer shelf life. They are also exploring how 3D printing could enable creating a synthetic human heart.