Patient Discharged with Titanium Heart Pumping Inside

A man in his 40s has lived for over 100 days with an artificial maglev heart sustaining his circulation. In a groundbreaking achievement, he walked out of the hospital earlier this year, becoming the first person to live outside a medical facility with the device implanted in his body.

On November 22, 2024, doctors at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney implanted the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH) to keep him alive while he awaited a donor heart. For 105 days, the device functioned as his heart, setting a new endurance record. In early February 2025, he was discharged from the hospital, marking a historic milestone—proving that the maglev heart could operate safely outside of a clinical setting. Finally, on March 6, 2025, he received his donor heart.

This achievement follows previous successful BiVACOR TAH implants at the Texas Heart Institute in the United States. Since the first implantation in July 2023, four other patients have used the device as a bridge to transplantation, with the longest wait time being 27 days before receiving a donor heart.

Engineering a New Future for Heart Patients

Unlike traditional artificial hearts, which rely on flexible polymer diaphragms prone to wear and tear, the BiVACOR TAH uses a titanium electromechanical rotary pump. A single rotor, suspended by magnetic levitation—the same technology used in high-speed trains—moves blood through the circulatory system with minimal friction, enhancing durability. The device is powered by a small external controller with a rechargeable battery.

The heart’s Australian-born inventor, Dr. Daniel Timms, expressed his excitement about the device’s potential:

“Bringing Australia into this journey and seeing our device extend support to its first Australian patient is incredibly rewarding. Decades of work are finally paying off.”

A Promising Step Toward the Future

While experts remain cautious about whether the BiVACOR TAH could serve as a permanent replacement for donor hearts—since transplants typically last over a decade—its role as a bridge to transplantation is becoming increasingly clear.

Cardiologist Chris Hayward of St. Vincent’s Hospital emphasized its significance:

“The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart is revolutionizing heart transplants in Australia and globally. Within the next decade, this technology could become a viable alternative for patients who cannot wait for a donor heart or when a donor heart is unavailable.”

With each success, the BiVACOR heart moves closer to transforming the landscape of heart failure treatment, offering new hope to those awaiting life-saving transplants.

Read Original Article: New Atlas

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