• Question: How many steps would it take to make an artificial heart

    Asked by The exterminare to Eoin, Fiona, Ivor, Karl, Pattie on 1 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: Eoin McEvoy

      Eoin McEvoy answered on 1 Mar 2018:

      For a mechanical heart, you would need to understand what goes in and out of the system – ie the blood volume, pressure, etc. The artificial heart must be designed so that all those things are consistent with a real heart so that the body can function normally.

      It would need to pump when it gets an electrical signal from the body, and be a similar size and weight as a real heart. Also the materials used would need to be safe to be put in the body. Those are just some of the things you would need to think about!

Comments