A Whole New Heart

摘要

More than two decades after the first ill-fated attempt at ' building a better heart, research and technology are finally catching up with intent. the concept of a mechanical heart is nothing new. The first permanent replacement heart, an air-driven device called the Jarvik-7, was developed by Willem Kolff and Don Olsen. Barney Clark, a dentist from Seattle, received the device in a 1982 implantation surgery performed by William Devries at the University of Utah. Clark lived for 112 days before succumbing to complications caused by the machine. Four more patients received the Jarvik-7, and also suffered complications ranging from stroke to mechanical failure of the device. Some researchers have said that the Jarvik-7 was a success as a proof-of-concept, but a failure as a medical treatment.