The NASA artificial heart driver: A pneumatic power source developed for Willem Kolff's artificial heart program

Abstract

The sprint to create a viable, implantable heart replacement device started in the 1950s, with current technologies still lacking a permanent solution. Early development of artificial hearts was littered with obstacles related to the power source. A pneumatic driver suggested and developed by NASA aimed to discover a more suitable pressure curve through offering highly manipulable parameters, but also enable automatic regulation of hemodynamics. While improved electric function waveforms were identified, the driver was ultimately abandoned due to minimal clinical applicability and an incomplete understanding of cardiovascular physiology. The opportunity for further waveform studies was simultaneously lost.