It has been 50 years since the Penn State heart-assist pump, a groundbreaking mechanical device designed to support patients whose hearts could not pump effectively after surgery or during severe heart failure, was first successfully used in 1976. It was the first surgically implantable, seam-free, pulsatile blood pump to receive widespread clinical use, and pioneered applications of fluid mechanics in this field. It led to the Penn State Heart, first successfully implanted in 1985, and was the beginning of Penn State’s long history of work in the field, which continues today in the development of the next generation of heart pumps.
Learn more about Penn State’s history and reputation as an international leader in the research, development and clinical use of heart pumps and artificial hearts from the College of Medicine.