Chapter 1,577 The Stunning Difficulty of Development
"If we simply create an artificial heart, it will be no different from those products on the market. This is not what we want.
What we want is a technical product that can truly replace heart function and allow patients to return to normal life. Patients no longer have to worry about disease and can be like ordinary people. Not only can they enjoy normal life, they should also enjoy the benefits of exercise.
It’s exciting, and you can even try some extreme sports that ordinary people can’t try, etc.”
So with this idea in mind, our intelligent bionic artificial heart technology research project team immediately started research work in this area.
Before we officially started the relevant research, in our opinion, this project should not be that difficult. But when we actually got involved, we found that the technology involved in this project was far from being as simple as we imagined.
First of all, we rejected the use of pumping technology in traditional artificial hearts. In our opinion, this technology has great limitations, so we did not decide to adopt it.
Since we need a bionic heart, can we create an artificial heart with the same structure as a real heart? Like a real heart, this artificial heart relies on contraction to promote blood flow, so that the patient's heartbeat and pulse can be realized.
Of course, just having a heartbeat and pulse is not enough. It must also be able to make corresponding adjustments according to the different conditions of the transplant recipient. For example, when the transplant recipient is walking normally, the intelligent bionic artificial heart will contract normally.
When starting to run or do distance exercise, the intelligent bionic artificial heart also needs to be adjusted according to the transplantee's exercise intensity and the blood oxygen demand of each organ, increasing the frequency of contraction and blood supply to support the patient's corresponding high-intensity exercise.
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At the same time, when the transplant recipient calms down, such as lying down to rest, the smart bionic artificial heart must be able to detect the corresponding state and make targeted adjustments. For example, adjust the number and amplitude of contractions to reduce blood flow and ensure transplantation.
The patient's major organs return to normal and will not continue to be congested and excited.
It’s not enough to just consider functions, we also have to consider materials. Since we want to bionicly simulate the heartbeat contraction of a real heart, there are strict requirements on materials.
First of all, all the materials that make up this smart bionic artificial heart must have good corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, good biocompatibility, etc. Because these requirements determine the operating time of this smart bionic artificial heart in the transplant patient.
, is also directly related to the life span of the transplant recipient.
Therefore, we must extend the working time of the intelligent bionic artificial heart in the human body as much as possible, which places extremely strict and even demanding requirements on materials.
In addition, they must have extremely strong biocompatibility. Simply put, these materials must be compatible with the human body and must not have reactions such as rejection or allergies. After all, these materials must exist in the patient's body for a long time, so once these reactions occur,
It will seriously affect the patient's health.
Generally speaking, materials with these elements are metals, such as titanium, which is the most commonly used metal in human medical devices and equipment because titanium meets the above conditions.
However, titanium metal also has its own limitations, and not all parts are suitable for this metal. Especially this smart bionic artificial heart needs to simulate the beating and contraction of a real heart, so the material must have a certain degree of humanity and softness.
Only in this way can the shrinkage occur.
Metal obviously does not meet this requirement, and the only one that meets the requirements is polymer composite materials. And they are polymer composite materials that combine the above elements.
Next is the energy supply. The smart bionic artificial heart certainly cannot rely on the human body to provide energy support like a real heart, so it still needs to provide its own energy. In this regard, batteries are generally used as energy to drive the entire device, but the life of the battery
It is limited. If time goes by, it may need to be replaced, which will require re-operation on the patient, causing great burden and pain to the patient.
Therefore, can we choose a new energy source or a new battery to ensure that the battery does not need to be replaced for a long time, or even for a lifetime?
Some people may have already thought about whether to use the nuclear batteries currently used by humans in space exploration. The nuclear batteries have long-term discharge capability. In this way, they can meet the energy needs of the artificial heart and do not need to be charged for life.
This is a good idea, but nuclear batteries are not as good as everyone thinks. They also have a series of problems, such as radiation problems. Nuclear batteries use radioactive isotopes, which have certain radioactivity. If placed in the human body, will they cause any harm to humans?
Injuries and whether there will be any safety hazards are worth considering.
In addition, the heart is so big that there is very little space for the battery. It is obviously unrealistic to pack a nuclear battery in such a small space. Even if it is packed, the continuous battery power generated by such a small volume
It is very limited and may not be able to support the operation of this intelligent bionic artificial heart.
Finally, the decay period of radioactive isotopes is actually not as long as everyone thinks. Generally speaking, it is about ten to twenty to thirty years. If it is really used, replacement and disposal will be a big problem.
Therefore, we still set our goal in the field of ordinary batteries. As we all know, our Haoyu Technology has always been at the international leading level in the field of battery technology. So can we develop a battery that meets the above requirements as a driver for this smart phone?
As for the energy source for the bionic artificial heart, this will also be one of the major problems our team overcomes.
After the introduction, Wu Hao took a breath and gave the audience some time to react before continuing.
“After we listed these problems and the related technologies to be overcome, the entire team, including some well-informed executives in the company, were dumbfounded.
This seemingly simple intelligent bionic artificial heart brings about a series of technical problems that we have never thought of before.
If we continue this project, the difficulties we will face and the investment required will definitely be unprecedented.
Should you continue or give up?”
Wu Hao looked at everyone and said with a smile: "We chose to continue, which is a very difficult decision. Because in the eyes of many people, our project will not bear fruit.
But I firmly believe that we will be able to succeed. On the one hand, it is because I have enough confidence in our scientific researchers, and on the other hand, we have also determined our goals, because we know that once this technology is successfully developed, it will bring endless benefits.
It is just a huge economic benefit, and more importantly, it can save countless lives.
It is precisely because of this belief that we have the courage to persevere.”