About Mechatronics and Artificial Hearts
Mechatronics is formed by merging electronics and mechanics. This is a new field in engineering which is a combination of mechanical, electronics and computer engineering. This field has made possible the development of artificial hearts. The artificial hearts are of the help to the patients taking heart transplant and surgeries.
The designs are continuously being improved so that the bulky size of the artificial heart can be reduced to the size that fits in the human chest. These hearts are developed on the concept of natural heart. Much like the natural heat these artificial hearts pump blood so that the normal functioning of the heart can be maintained.
The researches are going on in the Texas University to develop a heart with simple designs and small size, which work on the simple pump system and are easier to control. The concepts of mechatronics are used to develop such blood pumping devices.
The scientists are working in collaboration with the physicians and engineers in the field of biomedical instrumentation to develop solutions for the collapsing hearts.
How the heart works?
The auricles in the natural heart pump blood to the ventricles which in turn pump the blood into the aorta or in other words to the body out of the heart. This is one phase of the process after which the heart muscles relax. This allows the blood to enter the auricles for next pump. An adult heart pumps blood at the rate of 60 to 100 beats in every minute.
How artificial heart mimics natural heart?
A typical artificial heart is made up by integrating mechanical parts with electrical sensors, electrical and mechanical motors and computer controllers.
The artificial heart pumps blood out of one ventricle at one time. This is in contrast to the natural heart where both the ventricles contract and pump blood tot the lungs and to the liver at the same time. The artificial heart on the contrary first pump blood to the lungs and again contract to pump blood to the liver.
The AbioCor Implantable Replacement artificial heart is made up of hydraulic pump, transcutaneous energy transfer system, porting valve, internal and external battery and a controller. All these systems work in unison to pump about 10 liters of the blood which is sufficient to maintain the normal functions in an adult human. The surgeons place this heart and connect it to the pulmonary artery, aorta, right and left atrium.
The heart diseases are on a rise across the nations. With the development in this field some effective solutions can be devised for heart patients.
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