SynCardia Recognizes 20th Anniversary of First Successful Bridge-to-Transplant Utilizing a Total Artificial Heart.TUCSON, Ariz. -- SynCardia Systems, Inc., a privately held developer of biomechanical cardiac replacement and mechanical circulatory circulatory /cir·cu·la·to·ry/ (ser´ku-lah-tor?e) 1. pertaining to circulation, particularly that of the blood. 2. containing blood. cir·cu·la·to·ry n. 1. support devices, announced today the company is recognizing the milestone event of utilization of a total artificial heart for successful bridge-to-heart transplantation. The pioneering step of utilization of a total artificial heart to bridge a dying patient to heart transplantation Heart Transplantation Definition Heart transplantation, also called cardiac transplantation, is the replacement of a patient's diseased or injured heart with a healthy donor heart. was first performed successfully utilizing a precursor-design of the present total artificial heart by SynCardia co-founder Dr. Jack Copeland B. Jack Copeland is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Copeland received a BPhil and DPhil from the University of Oxford in philosophy, where he undertook research on modal and non-classical logic. and his team at University Medical Center in Tucson, AZ. on Sept. 7, 1985. Based on this concept, SynCardia developed the first FDA-approved and CE-marked temporary total artificial heart, known as the CardioWest(TM) Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t). In October 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the CardioWest(TM) TAH-t for use as a bridge-to-transplant in cardiac transplant-eligible candidates at risk of imminent death from non-reversible bi-ventricular failure. The device is being used in heart transplant heart transplant Procedure to remove a diseased heart and replace it with a healthy one from a legally dead donor. The first was performed in 1967 by Christiaan Barnard. centers in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and Europe. "We are thrilled to have reached this landmark point In morphometrics, landmark point or shortly landmark is a point in a shape object in which correspondences between and within the populations of the object are preserved. and celebrate the fact we were able to see through to fruition the development of this first-of-its kind, life-saving artificial heart technology," said Dr. Marvin J. Slepian, Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer, SynCardia Systems. "We are excited to continue to move forward with the next phase of development, which is utilization of the TAH-t for permanent cardiac replacement or 'destination therapy.'" The CardioWest(TM) TAH-t completely replaces the patient's diseased heart and immediately restores normal blood pressure and cardiac output cardiac output n. Abbr. CO The volume of blood pumped from the right or left ventricle in one minute. It is equal to the stroke volume multiplied by the heart rate. , facilitating recovery of end-organ function, such as the kidney and liver. As a result, patients become better candidates for transplantation. To date, there have been over 570 implants of total artificial hearts of the SynCardia CardioWest(TM) design. About the CardioWest(TM) Temporary Total Artificial Heart The CardioWest(TM) TAH-t is a pneumatic, biventricular, implantable bridge-to-transplant system for full cardiac replacement, taking the place of the failing heart in patients at imminent risk of death. The device offers full circulatory support, the shortest blood path and exposure to artificial surfaces, and the highest level of cardiac output when compared with other artificial heart systems previously tested. With the CardioWest(TM) TAH-t, patients become better candidates for eventual transplantation and have post-transplant survival rates equal to that of non-device cardiac recipients. About SynCardia Systems Founded in 2001, SynCardia Systems is the developer of biomechanical cardiac replacement and assist devices. Its CardioWest(TM) Temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t) is designed for severely ill patients with end-stage congestive heart failure congestive heart failure, inability of the heart to expel sufficient blood to keep pace with the metabolic demands of the body. In the healthy individual the heart can tolerate large increases of workload for a considerable length of time. . The device serves as an in-hospital bridge-to-transplantation for patients at imminent risk of death. SynCardia Systems is based in Tucson, Arizona Tucson (pronounced /ˈtusɑn/, Spanish: Tucsón [tuk'son] and is on the Web at http://www.syncardia.com. |
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