At BODY WORLDS 3 you can learn a lot about the human heart. Something I didn't know before was how many people are dying of congestive heart failure. It's a massive global problem, one of the fastest rising cardiovascular diseases, and the number one killer of men and women in the U.S. each year. It occurs when the heart becomes unable to pump enough blood to the entire body.

This problem has led to extensive research into how to help people cope with this condition. And some of the cutting edge research and development is going on right here in Salt Lake City, just a few miles from where we're hosting BODY WORLDS 3. World Heart Inc., a medical device company, is now developing a 4th generation LVAD, (Left Ventricle Assist Device) called the Levacor (Trademark) VAD. It's about the size of a hockey puck, and it's designed to be implanted in the chest cavity of a person with congestive heart failure to support them until they get a donor heart, or provide them an alternative to heart transplant. It can also help their heart recuperate and regain strength.

One of the more fascinating features of the small device is how it operates using magnetic levitation. Using MagLev(Trademark) technology means the device uses no mechanical bearings that would wear out quickly. Its speed is easily adjusted to allow safe and efficient pumping of blood cells throughout the body. World Heart cofounder, Dr. Pratap Khanwilkar, explains more about the new LVAD in our 5th podcast interview here. (ABOVE PHOTO: Dr. Khanwilkar holding the Levacor VAD and its larger, 1st generation white predecessor called the Novacor LVAS).

(BELOW PHOTO: a test Levacor VAD with a simulated artificial ventricle at World Heart's laboratories, Salt Lake City, Utah.)

If you come by The Leonardo, either to see BODY WORLDS 3 or just to hang out in the FREE Leo Zone, a representative from World Heart is here every Wednesday afternoon from 3:30 - 5 p.m. and you can see how a prototype of the LVAD works.

Also, below are a couple articles about World Heart's continuing development of the Levacor VAD and LVADs in general.
Business Week
Scientific American

Posted by: Ross