The NASA artificial heart driver: A pneumatic power source developed for Willem Kolff's artificial heart program.

The sprint to create a viable, implantable heart replacement device started in the 1950s, with current technologies still lacking a permanent solution. Early development of artificial hearts was littered with obstacles related to the power source. A pneumatic driver suggested and developed by NASA aimed to discover a more suitable pressure curve through offering highly manipulable parameters, but also enable automatic regulation of hemodynamics.

Use of aortic valvo-pumps placed in valve annulus for long-term left ventricular assist.

To provide better anatomical fit and physiologic adaptation, three aortic valvo-pumps with different dimensions were developed. Each pump has a rotor with an impeller and drive magnets and a stator consisting of a motor coil with iron core and an outflow guide vane. The devices had outer diameters of 21 mm, 23 mm, and 25 mm, respectively, and weighted 27 g, 31 g, and 40 g, respectively.