Centuries ago in Medieval England, it was common practice to wrap smallpox patients in red cloth in hopes that the illness would disappear. Although patients may have been delighted by their new wardrobe, the cloth, of course, did little to heal their ailment. Today, one need only consider this example to remember how far we’ve come over the years in understanding sickness, and how much technology has helped us cure and treat such conditions.

Although smallpox has been dealt with in the modern world, being diagnosed with a heart disorder is no trivial matter. Many scientists invest countless hours and immense effort into their work in hopes that they may improve the quality of life of millions who suffer from heart failure and related cardiovascular diseases. In fact, thousands of people a year die while waiting for a donor to show up with a healthy heart; in America alone only about 2000 heart transplants are carried out each year, which is much less than required. The invention of a long-lasting artificial heart has long been a milestone for academics all around the world. The first of these was approved by the FDA in 2004, after 10 years of research. Although it is currently used during heart transplants to keep blood circulating, there have been several modifications to the original device. After the first experiments that took place in as early as the 1950s, people began looking for more and more ways to make an artificial heart that could permanently replace a natural heart and could function properly inside a human being. In August 2006, an artificial heart called the Berlin Heart was used on a 15-year-old girl in Alberta. Although it was meant to be temporary, it was removed after 146 days, by which time her heart had healed completely and was able to take over its functions.

The next feat of electronic biomedical engineering was announced in October 2008, when French professor A.F. Carpentier declared that a fully functional artificial heart would be ready for experimentation by 2011. This device uses electronic sensors to beat rhythmically and chemically treated animal tissue. Similarly, many engineering firms are in the competition to come up with the most efficient heart. As heart disease is becoming an increasingly common issue, what with the cholesterol-rich diets of today’s consumers and improved healthcare leading to an ageing population, many have joined the race and are using the best technology to reach a solution.

As for how the artificial heart works, it depends on the technology and method that is used in each individual product. Some artificial hearts are run by a hydraulic system which contains and controls the movement of a fluid that allows the heart to function. Some even use technology that is similar in principle to those used to build airplanes. However, all artificial hearts need an internal power source, which comes in the form of a battery that is often implanted inside the abdomen of the patient. Other components such as an external battery and control also exist to allow the heart to work.

Due to these new and innovative methods, heart patients can look forward to greater living standards.

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