Heart transplant breakthrough as human receives titanium heart for the first time

A human has successfully received a titanium heart.

The Texas Heart Institute (THI) and BiVACOR, a clinical-stage medical device company, announced Thursday (25 July) the first-in-human implantation of the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH).

The titanium heart uses magnetic levitation - or maglev - technology with the same principle used in high-speed trains. It offers a so-called bridge-to-heart-transplant solution for patients living with severe conditions for when a donor heart becomes available.

On 9 July, the Texas Heart Institute implanted the TAH heart into a critically ill 57-year-old man who was in cardiogenic shock and awaiting a heart transplant. The procedure was carried out as part of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Early Feasibility Study (EFS).