THE MECHANICAL HEART ON THE MEDICAL HORIZON.
Progress in materials and design of a total artificial heart has lengthened survival times from 1(1/2) hours in 1958 to 3 months in 1974. During those years various limiting factors were found and analyzed. Remaining limitations encountered in a 3-month survivor were localized thrombosis within the blood chambers and infection along drive lines into the mediastinum.
Kolff
Jacob
J
Division of Artificial Organs, Department of Surgery and the Institute for Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112.
Olsen
Don B.
DB
Kolff
Willem J.
WJ