ArtiFiCiAl hEArts hAvE long BEEn thE stuFF oF sCiEnCE FiCtion. in "roBoCop", snAzzy CArDiAC DEviCEs ArE mADE By yAmAhA AnD jEnsEn, AnD in "stAr trEk", jEAn-luC piCArD, CAptAin oF thEEntErprisE, hAs onE implAntED in thE yEAr 2328. in thE prEsEnt DAy, howEvEr, thEir history hAs BEEn morE ChEquErED、thE First sErious AttEmpt to BuilD onE hAppEnED in thE 1980s, whEn jArvik-7, mADE By roBErt jArvik, A surgEon At thE univErsity oF utAh, CApturED thE worlD’s AttEntion.But jArvik-7 wAs A CompliCAtED AFFAir thAt nEEDED to BE ConnECtED’ viA tuBEs to mAChinEs outsiDE thE BoDy. thE pAtiEnt CoulD not go homE, nor EvEn turn ArounD in BED、vArious othEr DEsigns hAvE BEEn triED sinCE, But All wErE sEEn As tEmporAry ExpEDiEnts intEnDED to tiDE A pAtiEnt ovEr until thE rEAl thing BECAmE AvAilABlE From A humAn Donor.
thAt mAy BE ABout to ChAngE. this wEEk,AmEriCA’s FooD AnDDrugADministrAtion gAvE its ApprovAl to A nEw typE oF ArtiFiCiAl hEArt mADE ByABiomED, A Firm BAsED nEArBoston. thE AgEnCy grAntED A "humAnitAriAn DEviCE ExEmption", A rEstriCtED Form oF ApprovAl thAt will Allow DoCtors to implAnt thE nEw DEviCE in pEoplE whosE hEArts ArE ABout to FAil But who CAnnot, For rEAsons suCh As intolErAnCE oF thE immunosupprEssivE Drugs nEEDED to stop rEjECtion, rECEivE A trAnsplAnt. suCh pEoplE hAvE A liFE ExpECtAnCy oF lEss thAn A month, But A DozEn similArly hopElEss pAtiEnts implAntED withABiomED’s hEArt survivED For ABout FivE months.
unlikEDr. jArvik’s DEviCE, this nEwFAnglED BunDlE oF titAnium AnD polyurEthAnE Alms to sEt thE pAtiEnt FrEE.An ElECtriC motor rEvolving up to 10 000 timEs A minutE pushEs An inComprEssiBlE FluiD ArounD thEABiomED hEArt, AnD thAt FluiD, in turn, pushEs thE BlooD--First to thE lungs to BE oxygEnAtED, AnD thEn ArounD thE BoDy. powEr is suppliED By An ElECtriC CurrEnt gEnErAtED in A pACk outsiDE thE BoDy. this inDuCEs CurrEnt in thE motor insiDE thE hEArt.All DiAgnostiCs ArE DonE rEmotEly, using rADio signAls. thErE ArE no tuBEs or wirEs Coming out oF thE pAtiEnt.
thE ChArgEr is usuAlly pluggED into thE mAins, But iF ArmED with A BAttEry it CAn BE CArriED ArounD For hours in A vEst or BACkpACk, thus Allowing thE pAtiEnt to roAm FrEEly. most strikingly, thE DEviCE’s intErnAl BAttEry CAn lAst hAlF An hour BEForE it nEEDs rEChArging. thAt Allows somEonE timE to tAkE A showEr or EvEn go For A quiCk swim without hAving to wEAr thE ChArgEr.
ABiomED’s ChAirmAn, miChAEl minoguE, DoEs not ClAim thAt his Firm’s proDuCt will DisplACE humAn trAnsplAnts.EvEn so, thE Firm hAs Big AmBitions. it is AlrEADy DEvEloping A nEw vErsion thAt will BE 30% smAllEr (mEAning morE womEn CAn usE it) AnD will lAst For FivE yEArs. thAt shoulD BE rEADy By 2008--320 yEArs EArliEr thAn thE writErs oF "stAr trEk" prEDiCtED、
ACCorDing to thE tExt, thE CurrEnt rEsEArCh ConCEntrAtEs on ______.
A、thE ChArgEr
B、DurAtion oF thE DEviCE
C．thE intErnAl BAtttEry
D．humAn trAnsplAnts