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What Is the Jarvik Artificial Heart?

The Jarvik artificial heart was the first mechanical heart implanted in a human. According to the Jarvik website, it is used today under the name CardioWest Total Artificial Heart at hospitals in the United States, Canada, Germany and France.

  1. History

    • Dr. Robert Jarvik invented the artificial heart, and the first human implant was performed by Dr. William DeVries on patient Barney Clark in 1982 at the University of Utah; Clark survived 112 days. According to the official Jarvik website, their artificial heart has been implanted over 350 times, although it is now used as a temporary option until a suitable human donor heart is obtained.

    Function

    • The function of the artificial heart is to pump blood throughout the body by mechanical means once the human heart has been removed. The pump is powered by an external battery pack, which allows it to operate non-stop just like a normal heart.

    Significance

    • Thanks to the development of the artificial heart, patients with heart failure had a chance at successful treatment for the first time in history. Today, the Jarvik-designed heart is a vital bridge which keeps patients alive until a heart transplant can be completed.

    Types

    • There are two types of Jarvik cardiac devices. The original Jarvik 7, or CardioWest, is a total mechanical replacement for the human heart, and the Jarvik 2000 is a ventricular assist device that is implanted into a failing heart to help the ventricles pump blood.

    Fun Fact

    • As retold on the Jarvik website, an implant patient in Sweden had been accused of tax evasion, but since his heart had been removed, he was able to be declared legally dead and cleared of charges. He joked that he proved the line about death and taxes being certain was not true.

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