WEBVTT

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What if a Space Shuttle turbopump could be shrunken

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down small enough to fit into the heart of a 
child awaiting a transplant?

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A team led by NASA and famous heart surgeon
Dr. Michael DeBakey has done just that.

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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.

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It was recently implanted for the first time in a child.

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It weighs only four ounces and is about the size
of a small pink beveled eraser.

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Its only moving part is a rotating impeller that
moves blood in a steady flow.

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The team worked for two decades to develop the device
and eliminate common heart pump problems,such as blood clotting.

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Although the pump has been tested around the world
since 1996, it began U.S. trials in 2000.

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Patients have lived with the pump for as long as two years.

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Sometimes, it can even help weakened hearts repair themselves.

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The device is a perfect blend of engineering and medicine, but for some children, it may be a lifeline.