REINHEART TAH: HASSLE-FREE HEART-REPLACEMENT

Throughout the history of medical devices, highly invasive systems underwent a series of generations prior a successful establishment as a widely accepted therapy. The only available THA today (SynCardia TAH) is successfully saving lives but comes with a significant restriction of the quality of life (QoL) and a stigmatization of the patients. According to surgeons this is an important factor contributing to the low number of implantations today. Next generation devices using an implanted drive promise a new level of QoL and are currently developed by several institutions worldwide. Reasons for the long time to market of the next TAH generation (>15 years) might be found in the enormous challenges of technological aspects together with a difficult marked situation from an investors point of view. However, a higher QoL and an increasing trust in the reliability of the next TAH generations will inherently lead to a higher number of implantations, and further the acceptance of these devices towards an established therapy option. The approach of the ReinHeart TAH is to adopt the well-proven hydraulic features of the SynCardia TAH while improving its current limitations. The ReinHeart TAH features a passive filling during diastole, a principal that is also successfully applied by the SynCardia TAH. The simple and robust linear driving mechanism allows for a compact design, achieving fit in the vast majority of patients. Beyond that, the drive principle makes additional sensors unnecessary. The compact, smart and usability-driven design of the external components will lead to a broad acceptance by the patients. The unique features of the ReinHeart TAH elevate TAH-therapy to the next evolutionary step with regards to robust long-term application, size, ease of use and quality of life.