We have acquired a hard to find and discontinued Throratec XVE Artificial Heart Pump. Below is some information from the Texas Heart Institute that gives an overview of the device and preliminary human trials. Additional photos in the last set show hearts we have or have carried in the past and current selection of available pieces on our site:

The Thoratec HeartMate® XVE LVAS (vented electric) was developed and tested by Thermo Cardiosystems, Inc. and the Texas Heart Institute. In 1991, the system was implanted in a patient who was subsequently supported for 505 days. This patient, who was able to leave thehospital while being supported by this device, paved the way for other patients to routinely wait at home for their transplants. Because the system is relatively easy to use, patients and their familiescan maintain it outside the hospital setting. Patients can live at home, return to work, and resume a more normal lifestyle while awaiting a suitable donor heart. Recently, the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) approved the HeartMate XVE LVAS for destination therapy, which means the device can be used as permanent support for end-stage heart failure patients not eligible for hearttransplants.

The Pump

This titanium blood pump consists of a blood chamber, a motorchamber, a drive-line, and inflow and outflow conduits. The pump weighs 1150 grams. Each conduit contains a 25-mm porcine (pig) valve within a woven Dacron™-fabric graft. A polyurethane diaphragm separates the blood chamber and the motor chamber. Textured surfaces within the blood chamber promote the development of a cellular lining, which helpsprevent blood clots and infection. The XVE LVAS has a maximum stroke volume of 83 milliliters. It can be operated at up to 120 beats per minute, resulting in flow rates of up to 10 liters per minute.