Heart pumping machine

[natty]

Normally, testing out cardiac surgery ideas goes something like this: Let’s say Dr. Robotnik thought up a new technique for repairing heart valves. Before it hits the OR, the technique gets tried out on live pigs. Swine hearts are pretty similar to human hearts, making them the ideal (ahem) guinea pigs. But getting permission for live animal testing is time-consuming and expensive, costing around $2,500 a pop. Perfecting a technique might take a number of trials, which means a number of pigs, more time & money, then PETA gets involved… you get the idea. A real headache. So what’s a surgical innovator to do?

Fake it! A new machine at North Carolina State University takes a dead heart from your local butcher and makes it pump just like the real thing. This way, doctors can test out new tools and techniques for heart surgery without the time and money required for live trials. The machine pumps pressurized saline through the cardiac tissue, making it move in a sort of pig-heart version of Weekend at Bernie’s. All this is controlled by a computer, and even has live cameras to film the action from inside. Plus, the new technique is recession-proof at a cool $25 bucks per trial.