Man is world's first to leave hospital with artificial heart

<img border="0" alt="Man is world's first to leave hospital with artificial heart " src="http://dvice.com/assets_c/2010/05/Charles-Okeke-Freedom-Driver-thumb-550x464-39844.jpg"><p>Arizona man Charles Okeke spent the last two years of his life connected to a 400-pound machine that functioned as his heart. Now, he's able to shed that bulk thanks to the new "Freedom Driver," a backpack-powered, totally artificial heart that's letting him leave the hospital grounds. He's an honest-to-goodness bionic man.</p> <p>The Freedom Driver's advanced miniaturized technology makes totally artificial hearts possible. Produced by Tuscon's SynCardia — the same company behind the Total Artificial Heart that was keeping Okeke alive for two years — the Freedom Driver only weighs 13 pounds. Children go to school with book bags heavier than that.</p> <p>Okeke isn't the first person to depend on a completely artificial heart. It's a common layover on the way to a heart transplant. He is the first, however, to leave the hospital with one, and the first to test the Freedom Driver. Consider this: Keeping people alive while they wait for a suitable donor, without robbing them of their day-to-day freedom? That's a major breakthrough.</p> <p>Amazingly, doctors say that even if a suitable donor is not found, Charles Okeke may be able to live the rest of his life with the Freedom Driver instead, which costs upwards of $125,000 and $18,000 a year to keep running. Check out the Freedom Driver and Charles Okeke in the video below.</p> <p></p> <p>Via <a href="http://www.physorg.com/news194246067.html">PhysOrg</a></p>

Man is world's first to leave hospital with artificial heart

Arizona man Charles Okeke spent the last two years of his life connected to a 400-pound machine that functioned as his heart. Now, he’s able to shed that bulk thanks to the new “Freedom Driver,” a backpack-powered, totally artificial heart that’s letting him leave the hospital grounds. He’s an honest-to-goodness bionic man.

The Freedom Driver's advanced miniaturized technology makes totally artificial hearts possible. Produced by Tuscon's SynCardia — the same company behind the Total Artificial Heart that was keeping Okeke alive for two years — the Freedom Driver only weighs 13 pounds. Children go to school with book bags heavier than that.

Okeke isn’t the first person to depend on a completely artificial heart. It’s a common layover on the way to a heart transplant. He is the first, however, to leave the hospital with one, and the first to test the Freedom Driver. Consider this: Keeping people alive while they wait for a suitable donor, without robbing them of their day-to-day freedom? That’s a major breakthrough.

Amazingly, doctors say that even if a suitable donor is not found, Charles Okeke may be able to live the rest of his life with the Freedom Driver instead, which costs upwards of $125,000 and $18,000 a year to keep running. Check out the Freedom Driver and Charles Okeke in the video below.

Via PhysOrg

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