Heart in a Box: a do it yourself project?

Biomedical Technology has come a long way to where it is today and Canadian contributions continue to influence this field on an international level. One Canadian in particular has stumbled upon an interesting concept, one that covers the sensitive topic of the heart and heart transplants. Heart transplants continue to grow in demand and if demand is not met patients with heart related diseases will die. One interesting fact that raises awareness about this demand is the consent form that is signed when you get a driver's license. It basically asks you if you would like to donate your organs in case of death due to a motor vehicle accident.


The Human Heart - Our Body's Engine
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and Canada; not hard to believe seeing as we are one of the world's top fast food consumers. Without this organ we cannot live but some people suffer heart failures (sometimes even through genetics) and need new hearts. these hearts come from donors of the same blood type as the patient. Its not an easy process seeing as you only have one heart and the chances you'll get one that's your blood type are slim to none. and the heart is an extremely complex organ that cannot be imitated by mechanical prosthetics, well at least not yet.


HEART IN A BOX!!! no way...
Dr. Michael Sefton is a professor at the University of Toronto (director of the institute of bio materials and biomedical engineering). He has discovered a process that can, in time, save the lives of people waiting on a heart transplant from a donor that may never come along. His process consists of three basic steps: 1. place cells along scaffolding, 2. place in a bio reactor that provides nutrients and oxygen 3. wait for cell division to complete and fill any open spaces. This process may seem impractical but has been successfully employed to create separate parts of the heart; but not quite the entire organ just yet. Dr. Sefton's international movement is called L.I.F.E (living implants from engineering) and envisions that they will be able to build a working human heart in 10 years; good luck to them!



Not to be Confused With "HEART IN A BOX." Americans stole the spot light!
Meanwhile in Massachusetts (actually since around 2006-7) there has been a technology developed under the same name. This technology serves a different purpose though, it houses a natural human heart for transportation or short-term storage until it can be successfully transplanted to a donor. This exciting new technology was developed in the USA and is made by TransMedics Inc. Instead of putting the heart on ice, which only gives it a storage time of six hours, this device puts the heart under normal conditions and keeps it pumping with some of the donor's blood. The machine can successfully sustain the heart for up to 24 hours before it is transplanted to the waiting recipient.



Sources:

1. Michael Sefton at UofT
2.Heart in a box (american devolopment of TransMedics Inc.)
3.Heart in a box and the L.I.F.E movement: the scientist
4.Body Building: Tissue Engineered Organs
5.Hearts From Scratch


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