Abstract
End-stage heart failure is a deadly disease. Current total artificial hearts (TAHs) carry high mortality and morbidity and offer low quality of life. To overcome current biocompatibility issues, we propose the concept of a soft robotic, hybrid (pumping power comes from soft robotics, innerlining from the patient's own cells) TAH. The device features a pneumatically driven actuator (septum) between two ventricles and is coated with supramolecular polymeric materials to promote anti-thrombotic and tissue engineering properties. In vitro, the Hybrid Heart pumps 5.7 L/min and mimics the native heart's adaptive function. Proof-of-concept studies in rats and an acute goat model demonstrate the Hybrid Heart's potential for clinical use and improved biocompatibility. This paper presents the first proof-of-concept of a soft, biocompatible TAH by providing a platform using soft robotics and tissue engineering to create new horizons in heart failure and transplantation medicine.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 5146 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Nature Communications |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Jun 2025 |
Bibliographical note
© 2025. The Author(s).Funding
We would like to acknowledge the valuable input provided by the Scientific Advisory Board of the Hybrid Heart project; Ellen Roche (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), Jan Gummert (Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Germany), Hugo ten Cate (Maastricht UMC +, The Netherlands), Rogier Veltrop (Maastricht University, The Netherlands) and Martin van Dijken (Stichting Hartekind, The Netherlands), whose insights and recommendations significantly enhanced the quality of our work. In addition, we are expressing our special gratitude to Jan Gummert for his assistance and surgical expertise during the goat animal trial. We thank our consortium partners Martijn Cox (Xeltis, The Netherlands) and Daniel S\u00FCrken (Evos, Germany) for their input throughout the research process. We thank Sulayman el Mathari, Dennis van der Kruijs, Pim van Ooij and Aart Nederveen (Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands) for their work on 4D flow magnetic resonance imaging, and Bram Coolen and Hans Niessen (Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands) for their expert help in conducting and analyzing the in vivo study in rats. Finally, we are deeply grateful to Husain Khambati (Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands) for his dedicated efforts in conducting the in vitro experiments that formed an integral part of our research. Funding. The project is initiated within the Hybrid Heart Consortium funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 767195 and continued as a part of the project Holland Hybrid Heart, financed by the Hartstichting and the Dutch Research Council (NWO) with file number NWA.1518.22.049 of the research program NWA L1 - Onderzoek op Routes door Consortia 2022 - NWA-ORC 2022. We would like to acknowledge the valuable input provided by the Scientific Advisory Board of the Hybrid Heart project; Ellen Roche (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), Jan Gummert (Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Germany), Hugo ten Cate (Maastricht UMC\u2009+\u2009, The Netherlands), Rogier Veltrop (Maastricht University, The Netherlands) and Martin van Dijken (Stichting Hartekind, The Netherlands), whose insights and recommendations significantly enhanced the quality of our work. In addition, we are expressing our special gratitude to Jan Gummert for his assistance and surgical expertise during the goat animal trial. We thank our consortium partners Martijn Cox (Xeltis, The Netherlands) and Daniel S\u00FCrken (Evos, Germany) for their input throughout the research process. We thank Sulayman el Mathari, Dennis van der Kruijs, Pim van Ooij and Aart Nederveen (Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands) for their work on 4D flow magnetic resonance imaging, and Bram Coolen and Hans Niessen (Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands) for their expert help in conducting and analyzing the in vivo study in rats. Finally, we are deeply grateful to Husain Khambati (Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands) for his dedicated efforts in conducting the in vitro experiments that formed an integral part of our research. Funding. The project is initiated within the Hybrid Heart Consortium funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 767195 and continued as a part of the project Holland Hybrid Heart, financed by the Hartstichting and the Dutch Research Council (NWO) with file number NWA.1518.22.049 of the research program NWA L1 - Onderzoek op Routes door Consortia 2022 - NWA-ORC 2022.
Keywords
- Animals
- Heart, Artificial
- Robotics/instrumentation
- Rats
- Tissue Engineering/methods
- Heart Failure/therapy
- Goats
- Biocompatible Materials
- Humans
- Male