The Artificial Heart: Medical Improvements on Infections and Strokes

Auteurs-es

  • Lavatharshan Aramboo McGill University

Résumé

Artificial hearts are designed to eliminate the need for heart transplants. However, these devices are prone to creating complications such as infections or strokes. The complications occur from the mechanical aspects of the device. Therefore, the devices’ effectiveness is influenced by their design. This paper provides an overview of the different artificial hearts that are currently being researched. Three devices are investigated: the total artificial heart, the left ventricular assist device, and the total internal artificial heart. Reviewing research shows that the total artificial heart may result in both infections and strokes.  The left ventricular assist device lowered the probability of these complications but did not eliminate the risk altogether. While the internal artificial heart was able to eliminate the risk of infections entirely, it introduced new complications.  Given these results, artificial hearts still require further research to improve upon the smaller technical aspects.

Biographie de l'auteur-e

Lavatharshan Aramboo, McGill University

B.Eng Mechanical Engineering

Minor in Biomedical Engineering

Publié-e

2020-09-15

Numéro

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2020)

Rubrique

Articles

Licence


Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).