Life Without a Pulse Is Possible - Polidicks

[quote] [img]http://fastcache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2011/06/turbineheart.jpg[/img] At the Texas Heart Institute, doctors have developed an artificial heart replacement that produces no discernible pulse or audible heartbeat. Put your ear against a patient with this implant's chest, and all you'll hear is a faint humming sound. Touch their wrist, and there will be no pulse. The machine is a continuous-flow pump that consists of simple whirling rotors, which spin a patient's blood throughout his body instead of pumping it. Since the device has just one moving part, it actually works better and lasts longer than other artificial hearts. Doctors have successfully replaced multiple calves' hearts with these centrifugal pumps, and recently tried them in humans. Sadly, the man who received the new implant died due to complications from his disease—but he lived for more than a month without a heartbeat. A final design, a manufacturer and FDA approval is still needed before the continuous-flow artificial heart can come to the market. But we can't help but wonder—how do you tell when a patient dies if you can't hear a heartbeat or feel a pulse? Source [Gizmodo] and [NPR][/quote] :iia:

If someone is unconscious, it could a bit of a problem. :v:

Does it overcome the fact that clots form on the inside of the artificial heart and kill?

Ugh I would feel weird without a pulse

Neat. I can imagine someone with one of these going up to a friend and asking "Hey, you want to see something cool?" or freaking out their doctor.

[QUOTE=Communist Cake;30462631]If someone is unconscious, this could a bit of a problem. :v:[/QUOTE] I can see it now.... Friend 1: Oh god some one call 9-1-1! Friend 2: Whats wrong!? Friend 1: He's dead! Friend 2: No he's sleeping...

[QUOTE=Communist Cake;30462631]If someone is unconscious, it could a bit of a problem. :v:[/QUOTE] All they have to do is having something always on them that says fake heart. Then to see if there dead you check brain activity.

[QUOTE=Communist Cake;30462631]If someone is unconscious, it could a bit of a problem. :v:[/QUOTE] You can check if they breath.

[QUOTE=DELL;30462777]All they have to do is having something always on them that says fake heart. Then to see if there dead you check brain activity.[/QUOTE] A band could be worn like those for allergies to medicine, or if their breathing... Gah, I was beat to the catch.

Didn't Dick Cheney already have this done to him back in 2010?

[QUOTE=kaze4159;30462808]Didn't Dick Cheney already have this done to him back in 2010?[/QUOTE] Dick Cheney didn't have a pulse in the first place

i always thought of why they always made complex beating hearts instead of a simple propellor.

stubbs the zombie

Does it decrease and increase flow of blood. I assume yes. How does it do so?

I thought that Dick Cheney got a ventricular implant a long time ago that removed his pulse.

but surely you would never be able to exercise again and youd become very unhealthy [editline]15th June 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=ducky5;30462804]A band could be worn like those for allergies to medicine, or if their breathing... Gah, I was beat to the catch.[/QUOTE] I see what you did thar!

Easy, Get an "I have no pulse" bracelet like those emos wear.

[QUOTE=The Pretender;30462803]You can check if they breath.[/QUOTE] What if their airway is blocked?

[QUOTE=spacedooky;30463160]What if their airway is blocked?[/QUOTE] I'm pretty sure they would be flailing their arms and their face turning colors or something. [editline]14th June 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=geoface;30463119]but surely you would never be able to exercise again and youd become very unhealthy [/QUOTE] Why? just raise the amount of blood flow going through the system?

not running marathons > dead anyway

[QUOTE=Pepin;30463090]Does it decrease and increase flow of blood. I assume yes. How does it do so?[/QUOTE] I'm guessing yes. Just speed up or slow down the propeller.

i have a feeling this could solve heart attacks due to clogged arteries. just push it forward, then pull it back, then forward, then back, until it splits into dozens of tiny pieces.

[QUOTE=ducky5;30463213]I'm guessing yes. Just speed up or slow down the propeller.[/QUOTE] I imagine you run into issues with effectiveness in the extremities, or with blood pressure. It's funny, my father and I were talking about this on our way to the gym today.

[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;30463251]I imagine you run into issues with effectiveness in the extremities, or with blood pressure. It's funny, my father and I were talking about this on our way to the gym today.[/QUOTE] Blood pressure wouldn't be a problem with that. Right?

So when you are working out and try to check your pulse, you won't have one?

Easy fix: Tattoo "Beatless Heart" or something on the patients chest. Something like that would easily be recognized

I just cringed at the thought of EMP's or walking under power lines with one of these things.

[QUOTE=ducky5;30463213]I'm guessing yes. Just speed up or slow down the propeller.[/QUOTE] I just wonder how the device knows when to change speed. Direct nerve input sent from the brain, that normally tells the heart what to do? That would be nice.

If you have sex with someone who has one of those, is it considered necrophilia?

[QUOTE=Noth;30463487]Easy fix: Tattoo "Beatless Heart" or something on the patients chest. Something like that would easily be recognized[/QUOTE] They might think it's a tattoo that symbolizes something that happened in their life unless you mean for it to be standard for all patients with this device.