St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, founded by Catholic nuns in 1857, reports implant of Australia’s first BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart. Invented by Dr. Daniel Timms, it is a single moving part, no valves, and a no-contact suspension system, which means no mechanical wear, and the patient lasted over 100 days while waiting for an artificial heart. He even went home with it installed.

The work was led by Dr. Paul Jansz and the anonymous patient was sent home in February. He then received a donor heart early in March.


Professor Chris Hayward, Dr. Paul Jansz and Dr. Daniel Timms

It's a bridge device but with the Big 5 organs being created from a patient's own stem cells caught in regulatory peril for a decade, it may be reasonable to wonder if titanium hearts could be permanent, assuming the strain of immunosuppressive drugs is not too great.