Results Obtained With Artificial Hearts Driven by the N. A. S.A., Servomechanism and the Pathologic Physiology of Artificial Hearts

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

“…These sharply peaked pressures would otherwise be temporarily accepted by the aortic system until compensatory mechanisms were exhausted and the subject quickly deteriorated. In a mock circulation set‐up, the use of such a “h” shaped curve meant less turbulent blood flow and less violent jerking of the heart on the table 7 …”

“…In a mock circulation set-up, the use of such a "h" shaped curve meant less turbulent blood flow and less violent jerking of the heart on the table. 7 An additional success of the driver unit was the implementation of a diaphragm position feedback system consisting of a position transducer attached to the moving element of the artificial heart. This allowed the calculation of cardiac output and improved control of ventricular movements to better maintain the average center position of the diaphragm.…”

The Birth of the Artificial Heart Programs in the World: A Special Tribute to Tetsuo Akutsu and Valerÿ Shumakov

“…Another engineering contribution was made by several NASA Lewis Research Center engineers in Cleveland (13). Their contributions were servo‐control mechanisms by the computer for the pneumatically activated TAH (14) (Fig. 20).…”

PRESENT STATUS OF ARTIFICIAL INTERNAL ORGANS*†

“…One of the great advantages of this equipment is that the movements of the ventricles, both right and left, inside the chest can be watched on a scope, and from this, the cardiac output is known from stroke to stroke, from minute to minute, and hour to hour. 16 This equipment offers an ideal opportunity for the study of the circulation. For example, a calf sustained with an artificial heart (right and left ventricles) was given Isopryl.…”