Man with NO PULSE Considered a Medical Breakthrough

Source:
Globe and Mail Article


image source: http://images.theglobeandmail.com/archives/RTGAM/images/20061213/wheart1213/heart.jpg





image source: http://www.cpmc.org/about/e-health/2006/heartmate11.jpg


image source: http://www.cpmc.org/about/e-health/2006/heartmate11.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cpmc.org/about/e-health/2006/heartmate.html&h=325&w=260&sz=12&hl=en&s tart=1&tbnid=oeok_BEs-gttMM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHeartmate%2BII%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN


how far will medical science takes us to keep us alive?


image source: http://www.designnewsjapan.com/magazine/2006/02/news/02news01_05.jpg


[edit on 12/15/2006 by a1ex]

One thing is certain...

I wouldn't like to be reliant on something external and so bulky to keep me alive. That looks like it could easily be damaged due to every day living.

Also, I doubt he would be allowed through any airports, not only will he set off all the detectors but that actually looks like a double gun holster.

Errr....

NeoN HaZe

[edit on 15-12-2006 by Neon Haze]

That piece of high tech looks like it needs to go back
to the drawing board~
If I were him I'd be putting my things in order.
No Pulse........wonder how that effects the organs and systems
of the body that are used to the ebb and flow of a normal heart
rhythm?

Hey Ex,

I just noticed, we joined ATS at the very same time

And you are absolutely right, the entire body is set in pace by the bio rhythmic pulse... I wonder what side effects there will be??

All the best,

NeoN HaZe.

Hi Neon
It is a pleasure to meet you,I enjoy your posts.

Yea, they have to strap that to my bum...
I would have to put up an electric fence
to keep anyone from touching me...and disturbing my heart flow.
Looks very limiting,
but then maybe the alternate is frightening to him also.

If you had the choice between waiting for a Transplant and possibly dying or having this implanted and having it increase your chances that you will survive the wait for the transplant, well, for me at least the choice is obvious. Eventually they will get these things to the point where it will run completely off your own body heat eliminating the need for an external power source or even a real heart.

[edit on 15-12-2006 by sardion2000]

Aargh, I read about this a few days ago in the newspaper, I was going to make a thread on it, and I forgot to!

Well, given the choice between 'not having a pulse and being buried in the ground' and 'not having a pulse and carrying a power supply around', I choose the second one.

One interesting thing that my newspaper article noted was that many of the usual tests for health, like pulse, blood pressure, and such, are going to be seriously messed up. Since the device 'provides a continuous flow of blood' as opposed to the pulses that normally occur, doctors have to look for other signs to test some of his vitals.

This guy will have a couple neat tricks to show at parties, though... "hey, check it out, man, no pulse!"

Just wanted to note that the breakthrough is the expected lifespan of this device which is a decade. A few people before him have received artificial hearts. Not that many yet, just a handful but it's a start. We also got Artificial Lungs available, Kidneys are in the testing stages and Liver, well that's going to be a bit more complicated(is was it the Kidneys? I forget which is the problem there)