French Team Implants First Long-Term Artificial Heart 106
TrueSatan writes "Physicians at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris have inserted a heart made by the French Carmat company. The heart features bovine tissue components used to reduce the clot forming tendencies of fully artificial units and is intended to allow greater freedom of movement to the patient than previous, short-term use, units permitted. It is powered by external, wearable, lithium-ion batteries and is approximately three times heavier than a typical (European) human heart, though the manufacturer intends to reduce the weight and size of the unit so as to allow use by smaller recipients — in particular most women and men from areas of the world where average body size is less than white/Caucasian averages."
Re:THAT'S RACIST!!! (Score:5, Insightful)
So, -biological- differences between -biological- races (yes, races...) do exist - like the size of the heart, the dick... the brain!?
In all three cases, it's not the size that counts, it's what you do with it.
Why stop with an straight artifical replacement? (Score:2, Insightful)
Seriously... why try to replicate the original heart design when you could make something so much better? And why just ONE heart? What kind of engineer came up with this design? You'd do better to have MULTIPLE hearts pushing blood through your body. I'd have no less than three in me, if i had the option.
I think that was an option in a CyberPunk book. Replacing the heart with a system of small blood pumps located throughout the body. That sounds good to me.
Re: Medical innovations from damn socialists!! NOO (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm French. France is definitely socialist, and so-called innovations happened in spite of that, not because of it. True capitalism is the best thing that could happen to France.
Re: Medical innovations from damn socialists!! NOO (Score:0, Insightful)
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. North Korea is socialist. Cuba is socialist. France is not socialist, never has been. Unless you are an inbred redneck gobbing up anything Fox News (or is that BFM business for you ?) gave you.
As for true, pure, undiluted capitalism, it has brought upon the world such marvels as the 1929 crisis, the 2008 crisis and dozen of other widespread destruction of wealth since the 19th century.
Re:Pulsatile vs Pulse-less Designs (Score:4, Insightful)
I always found that split in artificial heart design interesting and analogous to flapping vs fixed wing in aircraft design.
Re:keep the original in good working order (Score:3, Insightful)
If you want people to make better nutritional choices, you should support increasing the minimum wage and encourage shorter working hours. When people have enough time and money. they make better choices.
Re: keep the original in good working order (Score:2, Insightful)
That couldn't possibly be because they're dead tired from scratching to make a living, could it?
Combine that with parents having no time to teach their kids how to prepare good food and no opportunity to develope a proper taste for good food and you've got a real problem.
Consider the sad irony of Wallmart employees needing a food drive to be able to afford a Thanksgiving dinner and then not being given a day off to actually cook it and enjoy.
Re: keep the original in good working order (Score:2, Insightful)
So what is your final solution? Have the dept of sanitation toss them in the truck when they drop dead?
I'm guessing neither you nor your parents still couldn't make ends meet after that more than 40 hours.
We always cook here as well, but then we don't have eviction notices hanging over us.
Also note, my suggestion was to raise the minimum wage and encourage shorter working hours. That leads to better choices and reduces the need for healthcare.