Engineering Heartbeats: A Case Study of the Carmat Total Artificial Heart

Heart failure is a global public health challenge. For end-stage patients, heart transplants are the gold standard treatment, but demand for donor organs far exceeds the supply. Founded by renowned cardiac surgeon Alain Carpentier in partnership with aerospace engineers from Matra Defense, the French company Carmat’s vision was to develop a total artificial heart that could provide a true alternative to transplant. The same innovative features designed to offer a high quality of life to recipients also resulted in a large, heavy device that primarily fits adult male patients and whose long-term durability remains an open question. This case explores how key decisions about the design and testing of Carmat’s total artificial heart have impacted which patient populations can and cannot access this potentially life-saving technology.

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, students will be able to:

• Identify sociotechnical dimensions of heart failure diagnosis and treatment
• Compare key features of the design of the Carmat Aeson total artificial heart with devices from major competitors
• Analyze impact of key design and testing decisions on patient access and quality of life
• Articulate ethical responsibilities of engineers in prioritizing tradeoffs and balancing the needs of different patient populations

Key Themes

• Controls
• Design for Human Variability
• Design of Testing Strategies
• Engineering Decision-Making
• Fluids
• Material Selection
• Mechanical Design
• Medical Device Engineering & Design
• Socially Engaged Design Process

Where Might You Use This Resource?

• First-year students in a foundational Industrial & Operations Engineering course
• First-year students in a foundational Biomedical Engineering course
• Sophomores and juniors in a core Mechanical Engineering lab course
• Seniors in a Mechanical Engineering capstone design course
• Seniors in a Biomedical Engineering capstone design course

What You Get

Facilitated Learning Package

For instructors teaching the material in an 80 minute session.

• Instructor Orientation Guide
• Lesson Plan for 80-minute class session
• Student Pre-work
• Slide Deck with Facilitation Notes and Supplemental Annotations
• Student Handouts and Worksheet
• Assessment Questions
• Independent Learning Version of Case Text (for instructor preparation)
• Supplemental Reading for Instructors
• References

Independent Learning Package

For learners to complete asynchronously.

• Instructor Orientation Guide
• Independent Learning Document with embedded activities and questions
• Assessment Questions
• Supplemental Reading for Instructors
• References