Scientists at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have developed a completely new type of heart pump that does not make any contact with the blood that it’s augmenting. There’s a number of pumps on the market, including total heart replacements and left ventricular assist devices (LVAD), but they all inevitably cause damage to red blood cells. Moreover, the turbulence produced by the pumps can lead to the formation of clots, requiring patients to be on anticoagulants.
