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.

Comments

First pulse.

[Anonymous Coward]

First pulse.

All logic aside..

[faux978]

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..

Re:All logic aside..

[Thyamine]

I imagine it never quite would get old either. Going in for a check-up with some new nurse. Watching her reaction as she adjusts her grip, then again, watching her change arms, looking a little more worried. Or maybe I'm just cruel.

Re:In a movie

[sakdoctor]

What are the drawbacks?

Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc. You're dead.

Re:Any systems depend on a pulse

[0x000000]

Apparently not a single organ in the body does serial communication by having it clocked in or out on the rising or falling edge of the pulse.

Re:In a movie

[thhamm]

Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc. You're dead.

No, I am not dead. Because I refuse to believe that the afterlife is run by you. The universe is not so badly designed.

Re:Awesome...

[simoncpu was here]

That has already been done with Star Trek TNG, Episode 148, where a Takaran sabotaged a test and faked his own death in order to discredit a Ferengi scientist and steal the metaphysic shield technology for use as a weapon.

New rules required.

[ThatsNotFunny]

I shall now have to amend my requirements for women that I will have sex with.

Pulse now optional.

Re:Should sleep with a sign on chest/back..

[i.r.id10t]

Miracle Max: Whoo-hoo-hoo, look who knows so much. It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.

Inigo Montoya: What's that?

Miracle Max: Go through his clothes and look for loose change.

The perfect sniper

[isThisNameAvailable]

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.

Re:Should sleep with a sign on chest/back..

[Inda]

Agreed. What you would realy need is a hole and a crank handle.

Re:In a movie

[Anonymous Coward]

Almost as good as smoking through that little hole in your neck.

Oh damn! I thought that what it was for. A cigarette, after all, fits the hole perfectly.

I just made an appointment with my surgeon to have it fitted for cigars, too.

Re:Any systems depend on a pulse

[Clandestine_Blaze]

+1 for necrophiliacs who get the best of both worlds.

Re:In a movie

[jockeys]

Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc. You're dead.

No, I am not dead. Because I refuse to believe that the afterlife is run by you. The universe is not so badly designed.

Blasphemy! I should... cast you out, or smite you, or something.

Re:In a movie

[digitig]

What are the drawbacks?

Well, I'm going to have to relax my "anything with a pulse" criterion...