The human heart: vault of the soul or pump?
Medical causes that led to the development of artificial hearts are reviewed. Ventricular assist systems are compared with other designs. A discussion of the functioning and surgical implantation of Thermedics Corporation's ventricular assist pump provides a context for an analysis of technical challenges still to be solved.
D001243:Assisted Circulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D019736:Prostheses and Implants