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The AbioCor™ implantable replacement heart is the first
completely self-contained total artificial heart. It is the product
of 30 years of research, development, and testing conducted by ABIOMED,
Inc. and its collaborators, with the support of the National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute. The AbioCor is designed to sustain the
body's circulatory system and to extend the lives of patients who
would otherwise die of heart failure. Its unique design allows it
to be totally implanted within the body. Unlike the artificial hearts
of the past, patients are not tethered to a large, air-pumping console
nor do they have wires or tubes piercing their skin. The AbioCor
is currently before the FDA, pending a decision on a Humanitarian
Device Exemption (HDE) application.
The AbioCor is not CE certified and is not available in Europe at this time.
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