Our heart doesn’t work as simply as in this symbolic image. We are still a long way from being able to understand all the functions. This makes research projects like this all the more important. (Source: stock.adobe.com – ismel leal)
We’ve been to the moon, developed artificial intelligence and dived to the deepest point of the sea – and yet we don’t know everything about the human body.
In this case we are talking about the heart, the most important muscle in our body. Researchers from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) now have one Bio robot heart built. But that doesn’t work properly – and on purpose! More on that in a moment.
This is how you can imagine the organic robot heart
In this Twitter integration you can see a cross section of the robot heart. For understanding: the right ventricle is on the left side in this graphic:
Link to Twitter content
The model is very complex, which is why it is only explained in very simplified terms in the article.
The heart model consists of real heart tissue with synthetic, balloon-like muscles. These synthetic muscles wrap around the heart chamber and contract it.
In this way, the researchers imitate the actual pumping function of our heart as faithfully as possible. But only in order to then specifically disrupt the functionality.
That’s why the researchers are developing a broken
Herz
To explain why the researchers… Robotic right ventricle
(RRV; robotic right ventricle) in order to subsequently manipulate it in a targeted manner needs to be elaborated a little.
In heart research, the right ventricle continually poses problems for doctors. According to an MIT News dated December 8, 2023 Previous measuring and control devices only capture parts of the heart:
Conventional instruments often fail to capture the complicated mechanics and dynamics of the right ventricle, leading to potential misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment strategies.
This is what Manisha Singh says. She is one of the authors and researchers on the team who wrote the technical report Robotic right ventricle is a biohybrid platform that simulates right ventricular function in (patho)physiological conditions and intervention
Have written.
However, the bio-robot heart is not supposed to be a futuristic and perfect implant. Rather, it serves as a research platform to better understand diseases.
▶ Why a broken heart makes sense: Implants, medical devices or treatment methods can be based on the broken
The model for the right ventricle needs to be (further) developed and tested because the robot heart works so realistically to the real heart.
▶ Another advantage: Surgeons or cardiologists can be better trained about what problems or illnesses the patient might have.
Speaking of hybrid robots: Cats and human android bodies – is this what our future looks like? At least in the game The Talos Principle 2
The developers assume that we humans will not lose our love for our fluffy friends long after they leave our biological bodies:
0:34
Cats and robots love each other not only in Stray, but now also in The Talos Principle 2
Why is our right ventricle so important?
The right ventricle is one of four chambers in our heart, alongside the left ventricle and the left and right atria.
The left ventricle is – figuratively speaking – the driving force. The thick muscles are designed to pump our blood throughout the body.
In contrast, the right side of the heart looks like a fragile ballerina. Their job is to pump the used, oxygen-poor blood back towards the lungs at the end of the circulation. A no less critical role, as Manisha Singh also makes clear in her article:
The right ventricle is particularly vulnerable to dysfunction in the intensive care unit, especially in patients receiving mechanical ventilation.
If you’re interested in what something like this looks like anatomically (in graphic form), you can check out this X/Twitter embed:
Link to Twitter content
Heart diseases in Europey
How important such heart research is can also be seen in Europey. Heart problems are one of the most common causes of death in this country. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the second most common cause of death in women is the heart.
Around 34.9 percent die as a result of chronic, ischemic heart disease. For men, this is the most common reason at 42.9 percent.
That’s why it’s crucial that we better understand our most important organ in order to prevent misdiagnosis and ultimately perhaps save more lives.
What do you think about this robot heart? Should researchers also be researching a functioning robo-implant to support broken hearts instead of just detecting them? Or does the Tony Stark idea (Iron Man) from author Kevin speak too much? Do you know of any other exciting bio-robot research projects that we may not have had on our radar yet? Feel free to write it to us in the comments.
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