Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona earlier this month discharged the first patient in the US to go home with an artificial heart. This was possible due to a recent Investigational Device Exception (IDE) FDA approval of the Freedom Driver that powers the patient’s Syncardia Total Artificial Heart. Here’s video from CBS with Charles Okeke, the 43 year old patient, showing off his power system.
Press release: Mayo Clinic First in U.S. to Send Patient Home with Artificial Heart
Flashbacks: Syncardia’s Freedom Artificial Heart Driver Going to Trial in US; Syncardia’s Freedom Mobile Artificial Heart Driver Gets CE Mark; A New Driver System for CardioWest Artificial Heart; Mobile Driver for CardioWest Artificial Heart Gets EU OK
(hat tip: Gizmodo)