Dr. Do Thanh Nho and his colleagues from the University of New South Wales, Australia, have designed a left ventricular artificial heart that can mimic the movement, blood pressure, and flow of a real heart.
This heart can replicate the parameters of a normal heart and those of patients with heart conditions (such as heart failure). The research results were published in the journal Science Robotics, the world’s leading journal in the field of robotics. The research team has also filed a patent for this technology.
The artificial heart technology aims to assist doctors in diagnosing and treating patients who require heart valve implants or those who need artificial heart pumps while waiting for a transplant or after heart surgery.
The left ventricular artificial heart developed by the medical robotics laboratory led by Dr. Do Thanh Nho. (Photo: Research Team).
In an interview with a reporter from Australia, Dr. Do Thanh Nho, 39, Director of the Medical Robotics Laboratory and project leader, conceived the idea in 2021 while working at several hospitals in Sydney. At that time, clinical cardiologists were very concerned because many patients using heart valves and artificial heart pumps experienced complications after implantation. They desired an artificial heart similar to that of the patients to allow for testing and monitoring for complications or dangerous parameters before performing procedures on patients. This prompted Dr. Nho to begin research on an artificial heart using the soft robotics technology that his laboratory pioneered.
The research team began the process of creating a left ventricular artificial heart by focusing on recreating the structure of cardiac muscle. First, a real human heart was scanned using computed tomography, employing 3D software on a computer to determine the arrangement angles of muscle fibers in the inner layer, middle layer, and outermost layer. Next, the team used previously developed artificial muscle fibers and arranged these fibers precisely according to the shape and angles of the muscle fibers of a real heart. The choice of artificial muscle type and the multilayer structure allowed for the creation of a dense cardiac muscle network that closely resembles a natural heart.
He explained that the left ventricle is the main and most complex pumping chamber of the heart. This part functions uniquely due to the continuous system of cardiac muscle fibers arranged in multiple overlapping layers at different angles. If it is possible to replicate the functioning of the left ventricle, creating the right ventricle and the remaining atria will be much easier.
The left ventricle of the heart with 3 layers of cardiac muscle, modeled after a real human heart. (Photo: Research Team).
According to the research team, the two most important mechanisms of an artificial heart are its ability to replicate parameters related to mechanical properties, forces acting on the structure, and cardiac function (biomechanics), as well as parameters related to the dynamics of flow and blood pressure within the heart and blood vessels (hemodynamics).
Initially, they faced challenges in recreating multiple layers of cardiac muscle stacked on top of each other and arranging them, machining, and controlling them to accurately replicate those of the human heart. After many failures, the team successfully designed and created a left ventricle with 3 layers of cardiac muscle, including epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium. Thanks to its structure closely resembling a real heart, the team achieved three-dimensional biological movements, contractility, blood pressure, and flow that are most similar to those of a human heart.
“To date, the world has not had an artificial heart capable of replicating such parameters akin to a human heart. Currently, only one research group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA has developed artificial heart technology but has not yet succeeded in replicating the parameters of a human heart,” Dr. Nho stated.
Associate Professor Dr. Phan Hoang Phuong from the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of New South Wales said: “This is the world’s first soft robotic heart capable of replicating the biological mechanics of cardiac muscle and hemodynamics of the human heart.“
The research team is expanding their work and beginning to integrate additional internal organs of the heart, such as heart valves, the aorta, ventricles, and papillary muscles. To test feasibility, the team has employed the new heart to evaluate heart pump systems for heart failure patients and soft catheter surgical structures. The aim is to support minimally invasive heart surgery used to repair heart valves or other cardiovascular-related procedures. As a result, the artificial heart can also predict complications that may occur with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP). These are cardiovascular support devices used to enhance blood flow and reduce the burden on the heart in cases of heart failure or after heart surgery.
Operation of the artificial heart. (Video: Research Team).
Professor Nigel Lovell, head of the School of Biomedical Engineering, Director of the Tyree Institute of Health Technology, stated that the utility of this project lies in its ability to accurately replicate the movement, blood pressure, and blood flow of both healthy individuals and those with heart disease. This capability provides clinically meaningful information for those developing new medical devices and surgical procedures in the early stages. As a result, they reduce dependence on animal testing and associated financial and ethical costs.
The device can be used as a tool to assist clinical doctors in assessing the predicted effects of cardiovascular interventions, such as valve implants or heart pumps before patients undergo surgery. Doctors can also use it to study the mechanisms behind certain cardiovascular diseases and their treatments. “This will be a revolution in the field of cardiology,” emphasized Professor Nigel Lovell.
Dr. Do Thanh Nho. (Photo: Provided by Family).
Dr. Do Thanh Nho was born in Hiep Thanh commune, Go Dau district, Tay Ninh province, in a farming family. He is an alumnus of Quang Trung High School, Go Dau. In 2004, he enrolled in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and was selected into the talented engineer program, majoring in Manufacturing Engineering. In 2011, he received a full scholarship for a PhD program in surgical robotics at the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Dr. Nho completed his postdoctoral research at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), USA. He joined the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Australia as a Senior Lecturer (Scientia) and established the Medical Robotics Laboratory. His main research directions specialize in minimally invasive surgical robotics for cardiovascular and gastrointestinal cancers, bio-3D printing, soft robotics, artificial muscles, smart fabrics, heart assist devices, enhancing human capabilities and rehabilitation for the disabled, and devices for emotional recreation. He currently holds more than 10 international patents. |
