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Biotech / Medical : World Heart Corp - WHRT and TSE/WHT
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To: Mindshare who wrote (238)3/11/1999 9:48:00 AM
From: Dan Hamilton  Read Replies (2) of 500
 
Thanks for the URL on the DeBakey device. I took a look at the site, although I got a "File Not Found" when I tried to access the video.

Personally, after reading the info available at the site, I'm reassured that World Heart's device still appears to be the leader. However, I'm not a doctor nor an engineer, so I would welcome any other comments.

Some observations:

- the "Patient Home Support System" is the size of a cooler and weighs 10 lbs. You have to be tethered to this device as you sleep. Most uncomfortable and inconvenient.

- no backup power in case the two 12 volt batteries fail. (BTW, I wonder how large this VADPACK is?)

- the "Smart Controller" perforates the chest.

- no remote monitoring of the device possible by a physician. This combined with a lack of backup power might make many patients uneasy.

- of course, still the key question of the long term viability of a non-pulsatile device.

It's entirely possible that both the DeBakey device and the HeartSaver VAD will ultimately receive approval. I don't think it necessarily will come down to a "one or the other" situation, and certainly the market is big enough. But I think that the majority of patients would probably choose the HeartSaver for the factors I cite here.

Comments?

One other thing - MicroMed mentions "shareholders and potential investors" but there is no indication that they are a publicly traded company. It's sketchy how they are funded currently. There are also no bios on any of the officers of the company.
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