What if a Space Shuttle turbopump could be shrunken
down small enough to fit into the heart of a child awaiting a transplant?
A team led by NASA and famous heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey has done just that.
Earlier this year, the tiny heart pump became the first to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in kids age 5 through 16.
It was recently implanted for the first time in a child.
It weighs only four ounces and is about the size of a small pink beveled eraser.
Its only moving part is a rotating impeller that moves blood in a steady flow.
The team worked for two decades to develop the device and eliminate common heart pump problems,such as blood clotting.
Although the pump has been tested around the world since 1996, it began U.S. trials in 2000.
Patients have lived with the pump for as long as two years.
Sometimes, it can even help weakened hearts repair themselves.
The device is a perfect blend of engineering and medicine, but for some children, it may be a lifeline.