A new Harvard University-developed robotic sleeve could open up new treatment options for people who have suffered heart failure. The device is designed to cradle the vital organ and give it a series of gentle squeezes to replicate a healthy heartbeat.
Researchers at Harvard and Boston Children’s Hospital say this latest development in the field of soft robotics could eventually be used as a stop-gap for those in need of a heart transplant.
“This work represents an exciting proof of concept result for this soft robot, demonstrating that it can safely interact with soft tissue and lead to improvements in cardiac function. We envision many other future applications where such devices can delivery mechanotherapy both inside and outside of the body,” said Conor Walsh, senior author of the research published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, in a release from the university.
The design of the thin silicon sleeve was inspired by the heart itself. It fits snugly around the organ and uses air-powered soft actuators that work like artificial muscles, twisting and compressing to mimic natural movements. The device is tethered to an external pump, which provides the air power.
Unlike the current generation of ventricular assist devices, this solution does not come into contact with blood, reducing complications like clots and strokes, and eliminating the need for anticoagulation therapy or blood thinners.
The soft robotic sleeve can also be customized to patient-specific needs. If a user has more weakness on the left side of the heart, for example, the actuators can be tuned to give more assistance on that side. The pressure can also increase or decrease over time, as the patient’s condition evolves.
Heart failure affects 41 million people worldwide, according to the researchers. Data from Statistics Canada shows than 1.6 million Canadians report having heart disease. It’s the second leading cause of death in Canada, claiming more than 48,000 lives in 2012.
“More and more people are surviving heart attacks and ending up with heart failure,” said Ellen T. Roche, the paper’s first author and former Harvard PhD student. “Soft robotic devices are ideally suited to interact with soft tissue and give assistance that can help with augmentation of function, and potentially even healing and recovery.”
