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Artificial Heart Recipient Has No Pulse
laggist writes "A heart patient in Singapore has been implanted with an artificial heart that pumps blood continuously, allowing her to live without a pulse. From the article: '... the petite Madam Salina, who suffers from end-stage heart failure, would not have been able to use the older and bulkier models because they can only be implanted in patients 1.7m or taller. The 30-year-old administrative assistant is the first recipient here to get a new artificial heart that pumps blood continuously, the reason why there are no beats on her wrist.'"
The story is light on details, but an article from last year in MIT's Technology Review explains a bit more about how a pulse-less artificial heart works.
First pulse.
I could swear that I saw this concept in a movie at one point in time. Any reason why someone didn't think of this approach sooner? What are the drawbacks?
"Paramedics/Doctors: Do not write me off as dead. Try to resuscitate"
...but I definitely see the need for a special Medic Alert badge for this.
This probably wouldn't happen cause of medical history and all that jazz, but that aside, it'd be priceless to see a nurse unaware of the circumstance trying to take her pulse..
With hundreds of millions of years of evolution, are there any systems in the human body that are dependent on the pulse to function properly?
See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
...now I only need to come up with the perfect crime that only a person with no pulse could get away with and I can cash-in on a screenplay for an episode of CSI.
The "cue the foo posts in 3, 2, 1..." posts will commence with no subsequent foo posts in 3, 2, 1...
The article doesn't address this, but I'm a little concerned by the idea of a pulseless system. On the one hand, there is no pressure spike, but on the other hand, the pressure never lets up. I'[m curious what effect this sort of device will have on strokes and other blood flow disturbances. The steady pulse-and-release rhythm constantly tugs at potential clots in different directions, presumably breaking up many incipient clots. Will a steady flow system do the same?
$_ = "wftedskaebjgdpjgidbsmnjgcdwatb"; tr/a-z/oh, turtleneck Phrase Jar!/; print
I suspect the battery pack strapped to her side and the scars on her chest might give them a clue this is not a normal emergency call. Its not like a pace maker where its contained within the body completely. Now that I think of it pace makers would cause more issues and they have been around for a while.
emergency personnel aside for a second, this doesn't seem right. seriously? there's gotta be some kind of physical problem w/ that... oh, in case you're wondering, i'm not a medical professional
Take my wife's pulse, please!
Although it could lead to disaster the other option is to give up an die now. I think most people would take a risk in the future risk vs certain death now. Also, it's not that hard to wear a medalert or other sign, even a tattoo.
I'm no med student. I'm just curious. I had heard that blood clotting relies on the blood remaining still for a period of time. Normally your pulse still allows for clotting because of the brief period of time that the blood doesn't flow. If you get a cut, you will bleed. In this case if the blood never stops moving will the individual bleed to death from something as simple as a papercut?
But at the same time, if that were the case how did the patient survive the surgery?
Before defib there's always a check (mini EKG) performed to see whether it is really necessary. Defibs are designed to defibrillate - so to apply one, first you diagnose fibrillations. You won't see any of these with this - nor any heart activity at all. Instead you'll see a HUGE implantation scar.
If reasoning starts to set in, this should tell them to get the knives out and do some debugging, instead of just frying the hardware...
Wouldn't this cause problems with perfusion? As I understand it, the arteries absorb some of the force of the heart's contraction due to their elasticity, and reuse it when they contract in turn to send the blood to more distal points in the body. It's been suggested that increased arterial stiffness is associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, and it seems like this might cause a similar effect over time. If you're getting an artificial heart, perhaps this point is moot, and from the story, it sounds like she doesn't have a choice, but I wonder if it would be an issue.
It is a solemn thought: dead, the noblest man's meat is inferior to pork.
She probably has a medical bracelet.
There are no loopholes. It's either legal or it's not.
She should put tattoos on her neck and wrists explaining her condition.
Don't worry, the penguin's kernel has evolved to pulseless a few years ago and is all fine and dandy :P
I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of killer sig, which this margin is too narrow to contain.
You know,
piston engine go boing boing boing... rotary go mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
Automated external defibrillators, such as the Physio-Control LifePak 500, will only administer a shock if they detect a valid shockable rhythm, i.e. ventricular fibrillation. This AED will not shock anyone or anything that does not have that rhythm present.
Manual external defibrillators, such as the Physio-Control LifePak 12, which may only be used by EMT-I or EMT-P (Paramedics) in my home state, can be used to administer a shock regardless of the presence or absence of any cardiac rhythm. This requires a manual override, and from what I have seen, is used even less often than the precordial thump.
Having always had a heartbeat since birth, I can only assume that I can feel it beat, but am ignoring it. Obviously there are exceptions where I can very much feel and hear my pulse, and am very well aware of it.
She'll never feel that again.
Does she notice?
Oh wait, no she's not. She's fucking BREATHING.
You're all idiots to think doctors, nurses and paramedics can't see if a person is breathing or not.
Yes, too risky.
Better just not have a heart at all and drop dead now.
Thoughts arrived like butterflies,
but she don't know,
'she's dead anyway! -- Since my HERF came into play
'yesterday, oh!
Just in case anyone else read the MIT article about how one of these things works, and noticed that they said "these things are nowhere near ready yet"... it's from 2006!
I think this tech is very cool, especially for people who don't have other options. I think that putting it to use in people who would have died otherwise will give us the data we need to know whether this is a better solution for everyone who needs a heart. It has the potential, eventually, to alleviate the need for transplants.
Doesn't the Jarvik artificial heart work just like this?
PERL:
All of the power of Voodoo with most of the understandibility!
It's me or after reading this suddenly all my vital organs functions become apparent?
It's a possibly huge medical breakthrough, but it sure is creepy.
In Vonda McIntyre's novel "Superluminal" starship pilots had to have their hearts replaced with a rotary pump because the rhythm of the heartbeat caused a breakdown in their bodies during FTL flight.
They called the pulse-less pilots "Aztecs".
I shall now have to amend my requirements for women that I will have sex with.
Pulse now optional.
"Was it a millionaire who said 'Imagine No Posessions?'" -- Elvis Costello
Do somebody remember that artificial heart are temporary solution waiting for a donor. Nobody can survive long with them.
It's life, Jim, but not as we know it.
I had a uncle that suffered massive heart failure who had a device that is used in conjunction with the heart to keep it running. It's somewhat along the same concept except for that I'm not sure if it pulsed or if it was a constant pressure device. I want to say it was constant pressure but I'm not 100% sure.
Unfortunately he died from an infection after the transplant but he used the device for rougly 6 months and felt great on it.
Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
Now this is different in that it didn't replace his heart, but its a continuous pump, and results in no pulse.
Snipers have to concentrate to manage their heart rates and time their shots between beats. A little practice and we've now got the world's quickest shot at 1,000 meters.
The AED will only shock when it analyzes the electrical pulses to be within certain patterns like Ventricular Fibrillation, et al. The manual ones rely on a trained person doing the same analysis.
With an electrical heart, the pattern generated would not look anything like vfib or vtach, so no shock would be warranted.
Unlike TV and movies, you do not shock on asystole.
THL phish sticks
Make you re-evaluate the standard by which we hold someone "living".
It's one thing if a person dies of natural old age, or at a terminal stage of progressive dementia, or simply due to brain injury -- the mind of the person, his character, his memory -- all is gone forever. There is no point in trying to keep the rest of the body alive (even though I'm sure some religious folks would disagree with this...)
It's completely another thing when someone dies of an organ failure that, by itself, doesn't destroy the person -- it just prevents functions necessary to sustain life further. The brain itself doesn't really need that much -- all it needs is a steady supply of fresh blood, containing the necessary nutrients, oxygen, and cellular content, at the correct temperature and pressure. But the body has to run a lot of different organs to keep that fresh blood coming.
Major organ failure (e.g. heart) was once considered synonymous with death. Now technology challenges that assumption. Sooner or later we will reach the day when either all organs (at least except the brain, although even that is questionable) will be viewed no differently than spare parts, replaceable at will when damaged. The human identity would be separated from the supporting organs, and considering a human dead just because his heart failed would be as ridiculous as considering the data on your computer gone just because the power supply failed. Yes, you can't access it without power, but all we need is some mechanisms from it being permanently lost every bloody time we turn off the power supply. In hard drives, this already works (nonvolatile storage). In humans, we'll find solutions to keep that blood coming to the brain, no matter what organ fails, and in a moment's notice. The only vulnerable body part would be the brain.
Of course, just like with a hard drive, we'll also sooner or later learn to back up brain data, which opens a whole new can of worms and completely re-defines our idea of life and humanity, but that's a story for another day.
I for one welcome our new pulseless overlords... anonymously of course, I wouldn't want them to know that I know about their pulselessness.... they might decide to assimilate me!
Her friends are going to get tired of her pulling the old "playing dead" trick on them.
Chemical Response
"I`m not a doctor, or someone with vast knowledge in the theme, but I think it`s clearly important to consider the role of chemistry in this problem. while every labotarory is concerned about the physcis part, refering to replace a "pump" no one is considering that this "pump" doesn`t only obey to mechanical/physical stimulation, such as running, they are ignoring situations of danger, imagine someone who is in mortal danger, and his body starts producing adrenaline, the natural heats respond to this stimule, pumping faster the blood, but how can an artificial heart, axial, nanobots, or any artificial heart designed until today would respond to this if this artifial doesnt respond to this stimulation? And the thing is, how this is going to affect the patient in his response to the situation?"-aldebaralph
I am not a doctor (or a magician, Jim) either, but I think this guy is spot on. I can manipulate (to some extent) my heart rate. If this thing has no pulse, how will I be able to calm myself down, or get excited for that matter? To me this seems like medical cynicism in the worst way. There is no separation between the body and the mind. One of the most persistent reminders of this is the beating of your own heart. It makes me wonder how these procedures will affect things like breathing, sleep, anger,. stress, sex, chemical inebriation, you know causal, everyday "HUMAN" STUFF...
-Oz
She is holding a Heart Mate II pump...most of our patients get this model...and NONE have a regular pulse. Funny since this is just breaking news and St Lukes Heart Transplant do it day in and day out, for a loooong time.
When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail
No more throbbing pain! Not a fan of the headache variety.
shes now like the crank movies. have to juice herself up when her battery runs out of juice
Curious, honestly... I wonder what the long term ramifications of having a non-fluctuating bp are?
Loading...
It's good that these devices can now last years, but why wouldn't they keep the heart they take out, remove all the cells from the heart's tissue scaffold, and then regrow it with her own stem cells? They've already done this successfully in animals. One would assume that putting the original back in would be a better, and in the long run, cheaper option.
I wonder what effect this would have on emotional response. There is growing evidence that there is a two-way feedback loop between subjective emotion and bodily affect. In other words, not only does being nervous cause your heartrate to increase, but an increased heartrate makes you feel more nervous. I would be very interesting to see if this pulse-less heart would result in flatter emotional responses.
what if she gets cut? there will be no stop in blood flow... guess she will have to live without scissors or paper...
Facts are useless, they can be used to prove anything.
Battery pack? Pshaw! This thing is state of the art. The battery is implanted and the device comes with a Touchstone so she can charge her heart and her Pre at the same time.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
Does she now have to run around the city looking for high voltage lines to get her fix?
I think this solution is ingenious. However, I don't see this being as good as the real thing yet. I think the pumping of the blood is beneficial in flushing clogs out of arteries . Continuous blood might be more susceptible to build up. With that said this could drastically increase the life expectancy of the human race. I wonder whether artificially replacing organs is the next step forward. After all, isn't the brain the jewel that the organs protect?
Very common after they've been married for four or five years.
I know - I've been married (and divorced) twice.
What?
"Undead, Undead, Undead"
Apologies to Bauhaus
No sig for the moment.
I'm simply a human. You know. But I'm working on that.
Children are supposed to feel the pulse and it is supposed to be very soothing for them, right?
What will happen in this case?
If you check, you will find that artificial heart recipient Barney Clark also has no pulse.
What were they thinking when they created that? It will be sooooooo much easier now for vampires to hide among us!
bigger question: Does she sparkle in sunlight?
on a more serious note, how well can she keep a rhythm (as compared to before)? I have always wondered if your heartbeat helps you keep a beat or keep track of time.
This is 2006-style old news - the implant shown is a left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), though other variants exist. All have complications, but offer a significant increase in quality of life for their target population.
AHA:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4599
ObWiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventricular_assist_device
This is so cool! I'll bet everyone will want one now! I can imagine some possible health benefits from this (but IANAD). You'd be less likely to have an aneurysm burst, because the peak blood pressure is never as high. The effects of high blood pressure would be reduced (or maybe you can just turn it down). And... *scores* of other benefits that I can't think of right now!
-Uberhund
Does this mean she is able to pass any lie detection test?
Based on the article, it seems like the pulse-less design is a better design than a pulsing heart. If this is true, why isn't it found in nature?
Is it found in nature?
What about adverbs?
Having pressure pulses should tend to make blood flow into places that are harder to get at. It's probably bad to operate continuously at high pressure, and it's probably bad not to go to high pressure. Like TFA says, further investigation into this type of pump is needed and planned if they can get funding. I just hope they don't test on some type population that happens to do well with it.
As a part of the grant (these implants are subsidized by a host of stakeholders), the implant hospital is required to provide training to first responders proximal to the recipient prior to the patient's return from the surgery.
Surprising though it may come to many on /., people who work in the field have put a good deal of thought into the lifecycle of implanted objects.
... if there are any (long term) effects on the body because of the absence of pressure drop in between heartbeats.
You know I'll bet she can't use most biometric scanners. They all check for a pulse to prevent scene like the one in Demolition Man. Though since she's an administrative assistant it probably won't matter
-- Adam McCormick
Your blood pressure is measured to help determine the status of your heart. The device controlling her heart probably does have status information. The usual way of measuring blood pressure, by listening for cutoff and restarting of the pulse, won't work on her. But it might be possible to measure her blood pressure with similar methods by detecting cutoff and restarting of blood flow, although I doubt a standard stethoscope would work.
There's gotta be some place where the legal definition of being alive depends on you having a pulse
You can't convict a dead person muahahahahahahaha
Dr. Feynman recounts how he did this once to a nurse (*). The eventual response was to write down a made up number for his pulse rate.
(*) Except he would stop and start his pulse at random times while the nurse was taking it. (There is a magic trick that lets you do this.)
What would someones blood pressure be with this device?
10 Say "Charging!"
20 Say "Clear!"
30 Sound "Bzzzzt!"
40 Say "Still No pulse!";
50 goto 10
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
I hate to say this, but I am not confident this will work, there are reasons we were made the way we were, it will be interesting to see how her body adapts to a CONSTANT blood flow, instead of a pulse blood flow. I am sure there is damage that might build up from having a never ending stream of blood instead of a pulse...maybe the oxygen or blood sugar is intercepted differently because of this...who knows, but she is the first, and will be the guinea pig for the community, that's for sure.
I do hope it works out, but I always see disaster happening when man tries to change something that nature intended to work one way, and ends up being too drastic a change.
I wonder how much previous data they collected with mice etc... to conclude this works good enough for the ext 10 years say...
My partner was an ICU nurse and used continuous flow VADs (Ventricular Assist Device) for years.
Here's an article from 2000: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/circulationaha;101/4/356
There is some controversy about continuous flow, but the notion is that most of the body experiences nearly continuous flow, anyway.
Implanted continuous flow notes from April: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19324130
And another from 2008 implying that pulseless does not matter:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18442710?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed
I would imagine that not having a pulse would be a great advantage for snipers. That is unless they need to run, of course.
Authority questions you. Return the favor.
Actually I've had that happen a few times. I have an unusually slow but long pulse, low exothermic body temperature, and for some reason EKG machines hate me. Once, I had a PA run two different EKG's on me and check my pulse 5-6 times before she stated, "If it weren't for the sun being out I'd declare you a vampire." and left the room. While she was gone I tried to force my heart rate up just so I could get out of there, It worked... thank god I used that point of vitae to mimic life-signs before I broke the Masquerade.
And now they can beat one of the major tests involved in lie detection. I want one!
Jason-Palmer.com
I wish I had mod points. That was very informative.
Mon chien, il n'a pas du nez. Comment scent-il? TrÃs mauvais!
Wow, I hope she wasn't planning to go back to school. Her options would be limited with all those colleges that only require a pulse...
I've already seen experimental continuous flow artificial hearts, at least 5 years ago on TV. There are many VADs (Ventricular assist device) that runs continuously. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventricular_assist_device#List_of_implantable_VAD_devices
Another victory in the fight against noise pollution.
Like increasing her average body temperature, inducing laziness of the vascular muscles (which keep the blood from flowing back), constant pressure on organs and muscles (which were used to pauses in the pressure), etc.
this could be part of a horror movie, Doctor: "You don't have a pulse!" Unsuspected Zombie: "Because I am already dead!"
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
But what happens when iTunes refuses to identify her new heart as an iPhone?
Rule of Slashdot #0: You and people like you are not representative of the larger population. - A.C.
We'll all be a bit less creeped out when you move your hand away from your "vital organ". A computer lab is not the proper place to do that kind of thing.
Does the blood flow faster if you are running or exerting yourself? It seems that this is an important part of the heart, to control not only blood flow, but also the speed of the blood flow.
I'd say a special alert badge is the least of this lady's worries. From the article:
While exciting to see experimental technology in use, it strikes me as potentially dangerous to apply continuous pressure to a system designed for pulsing pressure. How do the valves in the veins handle the strain, particularly in the legs? I assume the muscle contractions that aide the flow of blood back up the legs still occur? How much pressure can the veins handle before they burst? And what about wounds? How much more blood loss can be expected if a major or even minor artery is severed? And what about high-intensity situations that require increased blood flow? Adrenaline? Endorphins? Can she turn a dial if she needs a boost or does she just collapse if this continuous pressure system can't provide nutrients/chemicals fast enough?
TFA is woefully lacking in description of how this thing really works, but the quoted line implies some major kinks still need to be worked out if the life of the product is in the "possibly for years". Anyone know more about this?
"A new high efficiency solar panel? That's great, but why not just use cold fusion?"
ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI
Not exactly an artificial heart, but something pretty close.
They are called left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). The have a screw that is rotated by a magnetic field to continuously propel blood. Since the screw is the only moving part, they are pretty durable. They actually damage less blood than other types of artificial hearts. In fact, there are at least 30 individuals on the east coast of the United States that have these devices and are not on any blood thinners at all. (Blood thinners were given in these people at first but had to be stopped due to gastrointestinal bleeds.)
They've been put in for the last 5 years, with third generation devices out at this time. Thy are now approved (in special cases) as "destination therapy", meaning for people that they would never consider putting on a transplant list for a donor heart.
Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
this state of the art artificial heart has a built in pressure gauge and regulator that reports via Bluetooth to a little console in the ladies back pack next to her battery.
the public option won't pay for this...
Read "Superluminal", by Vonda McIntyre. It's a sci-fi story about a woman who gets a turbopump heart that doesn't beat -- not because she's sick, but because it's a necessary part of becoming a starship pilot. Romance and heartbreak ensue.
I always theorized that the perception of time passing was linked to pulse, in the sense that the brain experienced temporary and subtle lapses and surges to the desired amount of blood. It's like micro-seasons for the brain - every pulse being a new harvest after the dreaded winter between pulses. This also provides an explanation for why time seems to slow down during high-adrenaline moments.
I wonder if the non-pulse patient will experience time differently? How will she know when she is experiencing panic or excitement? I see mental functioning as being the biggest obstacle to a pulse-less heart.
she gives new meaning to the term "heartless bitch".
So this article i found to be kind of annoying and misleading. Sure the technology/device that is being used to keep this woman alive is absolutely amazing, but it's not an artificial heart. The device she received is called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), which is attached TO her existing heart to help her heart pump blood. Her heart is totally still in her, and is still pumping away, it is just not very strong and doesn't make much of an impact on her overall total blood flow. If she had received an artificial heart, her old heart would have been totally removed and replaced with a machine. Just thought i should clarify the type of device that she had received. Oh specifically it's called a HeartMate II. You can check out more info from the compay's website http://www.thoratec.com/.
but does it run linux?
According to the Radio Lab show After Life the Vatican decides on your dead/alive status based on your heartbeat, so I guess there's a new papal decree in the works⦠Will a child born by a pulseless woman be human or considered an ex utero demon spawn?
But what happens when iTunes refuses to identify her new heart as an iPhone?
That's what you get for purchasing the latest Palm Heart Pre ;P
...not...sing...Iron...Man
Liberty uber alles.
Just a thought, but could such a system create an environment that discourages cholesterol buildup and the formation of blood clots in the arteries/veins?
8==8 Bones 8==8
last i checked, the definition of clinical death is that your heart has stopped beating.
so, what we have here is a cybernetic zombie.
Necrophilia ... it's just such a bad way of living ...
I couldn't find the kinkyness factor in "I can't hear your heartbeat" ...
--- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..
What are the drawbacks?
He's dead Jim! But not as we know it!
--- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..
If they find that a pulse is indeed helpful, do you think this solution would work:
Taking this pump and sending its output to a bladder with a check valve. The continuous flow will fill the bladder, and once a certain pressure is reached, the check valve opens and sends a pulse of blood out. It's failsafe too, since if the valve breaks you're just left with continuous flow like you have now.
boldly going forward, 'cause we can't find reverse
Old news (I think) -
Some guy in the USA got one of these a a coupla years ago.
I remember the breathless radio host getting all excited about "no pulse!" Golly!
Hey but it's Singapore!
Check her meds! If they are too strong, hang the dopefiend bitch!
.
- aqk
F U
At least it isn't a guy, perma boner anyone?
The alternative I suggest is not fanciful and you would know this if you bothered to do a little digging. The point of my comment was, biological alternatives are now finally possible. Mechanical replacements are progressing well but it will be quite some time before they come close to the quality (in terms of the life expectancy of the patient) as original tissue.
This article is only news in Singapore.
While new there, this device, called an LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device), has been used in the US for a few years. Hundreds of people have them, and with the models with a continuous flow pump (most), those people have no pulse.
Totally off topic, I apologize. But I'm a Dune nut so I have to. It's in my contract.
Mind you heart plugs always seemed a bit of a silly idea to me. If you wanted to off your slaves for disobedience, why not just shoot them?
First thing - they weren't in the books. Frank didn't put them there, Hollywood did.
Second thing - the Harkonnens aren't worried so much about discipline. They enjoy cruelty, and that's a huge difference. For instance, when Rabban sabotages Dr. Kynes suit and leaves him to die in the desert atop a spice blow. Sure, a bullet would end it right now. But he wouldn't suffer, would he? Where is the fun in that? So from that point of view the heart plug makes sense. Walking around all the time knowing there is a valve on your chest that someone could tug out and end your life, just for the fun of watching you die? Yeah, that would fit with their MO.
When you're an entire race of sadists, the whole discipline thing sort of comes out in the wash. Slaves cringe when they appear and do their very best to not be noticed at all. Disobedience? That will net you a horrific humiliating death. Best to keep your head down and do as you're told.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.