Three Tips for Better Sleep: Overcome your Insomnia

 

Published on October 15, 2013 by Jonathan Fader, Ph.D. in The New You

“When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, “Did you sleep good? I said “No, I made a few mistakes.” - Steven Wright

First, you are not alone. A shocking 50-70 million Americans have sleep difficulties of some kind. But not to worry, there are some very practical strategies that you can use if you would like to try change your behaviors to improve your sleep. As Steven Wright joked, we all make mistakes in our sleep related behaviors. This post will review some of the tools used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) to get started towards a more restful night tonight!

1. Retrain your mind and body for sleep.

If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep. - Dale Carnegie

When we lie sleeplessly in bed our brain begins to associate bed with sleeplessness. Stimulus control therapy works to retrain your brain how to sleep. There are some guidelines you can follow on your own that can really help in this area. First, avoid using your bed for anything (ok almost anything!) except sleep. Secondly, if you are in bed awake for more than 20 minutes, get up and sit in a chair outside of the sleeping area and participate in a non-activating activity in low light. For example reading, crafting, or implementing a relaxation exercises. Try not to use anything with a screen.

Sleep Hygiene can also contribute to training your body to sleep. One healthy step towards this is to develop a nighttime ritual. Having a cup of tea (decaffeinated), taking a warm shower, stretching, changing into specific pajamas before bed can all help send messages to your brain that it is time to go to sleep.

2. Manage your stress and worry.

Man should forget his anger before he lies down to sleep. - Mahatma Gandhi

Stress and anxiety can create substantial barriers to sleep. Some tools that you can use during your day and near bedtime to reduce worry and stress are breathing exercises and muscle relaxation exercises. Both of these tools can help to reduce stress and induce relaxation which will help you prepare your body and mind to rest.

Worry time: Pick a scheduled time to worry and write your worries down. If you think of something during the rest of the day, tell yourself you will worry about that during your “worry time.” If you must, take a minute to write down your worry at that time.

Lastly, don’t look at the clock while sleeping! This can lead to increased pressure and worry about sleeping. I have had clients that go so far as to put the clock in another part of the room or put tape over the screen to avoid temptation.

3. Daily Activities and next steps

A well spent day brings happy sleep - Leonardo da Vinci

What you do during the day does affect the quality of your sleep. There is plenty of evidence that supports the fact that exercising during the day can help you sleep better. Also, napping during the day can negatively affect your nighttime sleep.

One of the main ideas of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia is the idea of “sleep efficiency” which basically means the proportion of time that you are actually asleep while in bed. In CBT-I you work with a therapist to help you create a “sleep debt” (a need to fall asleep) by allowing yourself less time (opportunity) to be in bed. This results in being tired while in bed and thus, eventually sleeping more.

Hopefully some of these tips will be helpful for you. Certainly a consultation with a clinician who has expertise in CBT-I can help you guide yourself to a night of restful sleep.

Sweet Dreams!

6 Ways Your Bedroom May Be Sabotaging Your Sleep

 

How to make your bedroom more conducive to sleep

Let’s face it: we all know that sometimes, getting ourselves (or our kids) into bed is only half the struggle when it comes to falling asleep. Lying there, or tossing and turning as the minutes turn into hours while sleep continues to eludes us can be really frustrating, and no help when the alarm goes off the next morning and we can barely get going.

There can be lots of reasons why people have difficulty falling or staying asleep, and I’ve addressed many of them in previous posts as well as in my book

One of them, often overlooked, is the quality of the sleep environment itself. Namely: how conducive your bedroom is to falling asleep.

Here are a number of things to look for in your, or your child’s bedroom, which may be interfering with your ability to fall asleep at night:

1. Too much light. Bright light, especially in the evening, has a very powerful awakening effect on the brain.

2. Make sure the bedroom lights are dim, or better yet turned off completely. If you read before going to bed, use a low-wattage lamp. If a night light is needed, use the lowest wattage you can find (no more than 7 watts) and make sure that the light it casts does not shine directly on the bed. In the summer months, when trying to go to sleep (or to put younger kids to bed) before the sun has set, consider using light-blocking shades or curtains.

3. Too many distractions. Televisions , computers, iPads, video games are problematic not only because of the light they case, but because of their content, which can rile up the brain just as you’re trying to calm it down.  And while falling asleep to soothing music can be very helpful to some, not all music is soothing. I’ve met teens with difficulty initiating sleep who never made the connection between the heavy metal they listened to in bed at night and why it was taking them so long to fall asleep.

4. Pets. Whether it’s a dog who snuggles up and leaves you little room to stretch out, or a cat that’s constantly moving about, your pet may be causing more of your sleep problems than you realize. If you’re not convinced, consider videotaping the bed one night and watching what happened over the course of the night.

5. Too much stress. Taking computers, homework, or work into bed is an especially big no-no, because it can generate stress that lingers even after the task is complete, and the computer turned off and the notebooks put away. It’s important to keep the bed for sleep (and sex, when appropriate), and not to allow negative associations to develop between the bed and unpleasant or stress-generating tasks which can then interfere with sleep.

6. Clocks. Even though the stress they produce is a direct continuation of point #4, they bear special mention. Nothing is more anxiety-producing than watching the minutes tick by as you lie in bed and can’t fall asleep. “Oh no, it’s been half an hour, and I’m still awake… Now it’s been thirty-five minutes and I still haven’t fallen asleep.” Most of us need an alarm to wake up in the morning, but that doesn’t mean that the clock has to face the bed. Move it out of arms-reach and out of sight. For example: put the clock on a dresser across the room and facing the wall. That will make it much less tempting to look at.

7. Noise.  Thin walls, snoring bed partners, or family members watching TV in the den can all make it harder to fall asleep. Sometimes this is easy to fix, but not always. If that’s the case, consider foam earplugs, or a fan or white noise machine to mask the sound

Good luck, and good night!

Homemade Energy Drink

 

I started out with the intention of coming up with a recipe for a homemade version of the store bought energy drinks, but after doing some research and discovering how unhealthy they are for you, I decided instead to try and design a less sugar/caffeine fueled way to help myself through the workday afternoon sleepy slump.
What I landed on was a system of three drinks and some energy boosting ideas that are going a long way to helping me keep my energy up all day long! Here's the good on the drinks:
The Fire Hydrant (left) - 3-4 8oz glasses throughout the day
filtered water
1 slice lemon
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Other than getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, staying hydrated is the most important thing you can do to help keep your body functioning at optimum levels. So this drink is just water with a squeezed lemon slice and a pinch of cayenne pepper. The lemon not only tastes good, but is also super alkaline* which helps your body maintain a healthy pH level. The cayenne pepper helps raise energy levels naturally and provides protection for your heart by helping to maintain proper cardiovascular movement throughout the body. Combining this with 4-5 glasses of regular water will bring you up to your recommended 8 glasses of water per day!
*For an explanation of lemons' miraculous transition from acidic outside of the body, to alkaline once ingested, visit this link: http://phbalance.wikispaces.com/Lemons+Alkaline%3F
The Quick Fix (center) - as needed, during the day
(I don't recommend drinking it at night as it might keep you up)
hot water
1 1/2 - 2 tsp honey (to taste)
1 inch of fresh ginger root
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp tumeric
Cut off two thin slices of ginger and place in your cup or mug.
Use a garlic press to juice the remaining ginger into your mug.
Add both spices and fill your mug with hot water and stir.
This is the closest thing I found to a non-caffeine/refined sugar pick me up! And I find it pretty delicious. Ginger speeds up metabolism and increases circulation. It also aids in the digestive process which can help stave off the post lunch coma that contributes to the afternoon slump. Turmeric, a cousin of ginger, also helps speed things up in the body, including energy levels! And Cardamom has long been valued medicinally for its ability to increase circulation and improve energy. Honey is mother nature's equivalent of an energy shot and is one of the best kinds of sugars for your body.
The Heavy Lifter (right) - 1 glass in the morning
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup raw almonds or 2 tbsp almond butter
1 scoop of high quality whey protein powder (low sugar content)
2 washed kale leaves
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
According to Dr. Oz, sixty percent of women don't get enough protein in their diets and that is often the number one reason for fatigue! (http://www.doctoroz.com/media/print/11196) A morning protein shake is a really easy and delicious way to make sure that you're starting the day off well fueled. Pair this with a piece of whole grain toast and you have everything you need to give you a solid energy foundation for the day.
The next steps are energy booster tips that I find, when done along with the drinks, help me keep on keeping on all day long!

 

Hoje, vende-se com a emoção e com o sentimento.

 

 

 

Psicologia da cor – link

Compact Directional Coupler

 

Thu, 09/25/2014

Krytar Inc. has launched a new Directional Coupler, Model 181206, operating in the frequency range of 12.4 to 18.0 GHz and offering nominal coupling of 6 dB in a compact package. The coupler is designed for systems applications where external leveling, precise monitoring, signal mixing or swept transmission and reflection measurements are required.Krytar Inc. has launched a new Directional Coupler operating in the frequency range of 12.4 to 18.0 GHz, offering nominal coupling of 6 dB in a compact package.

Krytar’s new directional coupler is uniquely designed for systems applications where external leveling, precise monitoring, signal mixing or swept transmission and reflection measurements are required. The coupler provides simple solutions for many applications including electronic warfare (EW), commercial wireless, SATCOM, radar, signal monitoring and measurement, antenna beam forming, and EMC testing environments. For many space-restricted applications the compact size makes Krytar directional couplers ideal.

The coupler, Model 181206, adds to the Company’s growing family of directional couplers by offering superior performance over the 12.4 to 18.0 GHz frequency range. Krytar’s technological advances provide excellent operating performance of this new stripline design unit. Model 181206 delivers 6 dB (±0.5 dB) of nominal coupling (with respect to output) and frequency sensitivity of ±0.30 dB. Directivity is >15 dB. The coupler exhibits insertion loss of <1.9 dB across the full frequency range including coupled power. Maximum VSWR at any port is 1.35, Input power rating is 20 W average and 3 kW peak. Operating temperature is -54 to +85 C.

This new directional coupler is in an extremely compact package measuring only 1.40 in (L) x 0.40 in (W) x 0.66 in (H). With the standard SMA female connectors the coupler weighs just 1.0 oz. Optional SMA male connectors are available in addition to 3.5 mm, 2.92 mm and 2.4 mm connectors.

Krytar Inc.

Impossible electric bike folds up to fit in a backpack

 

When folded up, the Impossible bike measures 17 in (43 cm) tall

Image Gallery (6 images)

Folding and electric bikes have proven fertile ground for innovation recently, but what about bikes that are both electric and foldable? Three years in the making, the Impossible bike from a team of China-based engineers folds up to fit in a backpack and is capable of reaching 12 mph (20 km/h) on the road courtesy of a brushless electric motor.

A folding bike has obvious appeal, with the compact design allowing users to store it under a desk at work, lug it on public transport or throw it in the car. But you do wonder, how much does a collapsible design compromise pedaling efficiency and the overall riding experience?

Whacking an electric motor onto the frame goes some way to negating this dilemma, and the Impossible team certainly isn't the first to take this approach. Back in 2010 we featured the VeloMini electric bike, which folds up to around the size of a guitar case. More recently we looked at the Gi bike that not only folds up, but uses its electric motor to charge the rider's phone.

What the Impossible does promise is a new level of portability. It weighs under 11 lb (5 kg) and when folded up is 17 in (43 cm) tall, just a few inches bigger than the laptop on which I'm writing this story. It runs on ten 2,900 mAh batteries that can be recharged from a regular wall outlet and has a range of 15.6 mi (24.8 km).

The engineers have taken a somewhat circular approach to the design of the bike. Made primarily of anodized aluminum, it comprises four circles which fold out to form both the wheels and the bike's frame. The team claims that this spreads the rider's weight evenly across the bike and allows it to support a maximum load of 180 lb (85 kg).

Another space-saving measure is the combining of the seat and carry case. As the saddle is detachable and shaped to fit the folded bike snugly inside (the seatpost and handlebars notwithstanding), it protects the batteries and motor from the elements should you need to store it outside.

The Impossible Technology team behind the bike says the concept still needs some refining before it is taken to market and is currently running a Kickstarter campaign through which it hopes to raise funds to further develop the brushless electric motor. For its prototype, the team modified an existing electric motor, though it says the final version will feature an ultra-thin motor designed specifically for the Impossible.

Pledges start at CAD$430 (US$377), with the bike available in white and black. Shipping is estimated for August 2015 if everything goes to plan.

 

Source: Kickstarter

 

Samsung Gear S review: This smartwatch can fly solo

 

Gizmag reviews Samsung's (almost) standalone smartwatch, the Gear S (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)

Image Gallery (25 images)

Samsung has released so many smartwatches in the last year that it's easy to start tuning them out. But no matter what you think of the Gear S, it certainly isn't forgettable. Read on, as Gizmag reviews the most forward-thinking smartwatch you can buy.

During my time with the Gear S, my left pocket, which almost always contains some kind of smartphone, has been completely empty. That's because, like your phone, the Gear S has its own SIM card, data connection and phone number. Every other smartwatch I've reviewed requires a Bluetooth connection with your phone, but the Gear S can fly solo when you want it to.

That isn't to say that the Gear S will replace your smartphone. In fact, not only does it require a phone, it requires a very specific kind of phone: a Samsung Galaxy running Android 4.3 or higher.

What separates the Gear S from other smartwatches is that it not only pairs with a phone over Bluetooth, but also over the Internet. So your phone can be sitting in Los Angeles, while you and your watch are in New York, and you'll still be able to send and receive texts, emails and phone calls on your wrist.

Right now you're probably thinking "hey, I didn't spend hundreds of dollars on my phone just to leave it sitting on a charger all day!" And that's a fair point. But the Gear S is one of the few wearable devices that gives you the option. Even if it's just for the occasional jog or trip to the store, this is a smartwatch that lets you leave your phone at home.

With or without a nearby phone, the Gear S lets you take and make calls, send and receive text messages, and reply to and receive emails (though, annoyingly, you can't compose a brand new email). Also it uses your phone's number for calls and texts, so you won't need to worry about giving anyone a separate number for the Gear.

If smartwatches are eventually going to replace our phones, then this is a big step in that direction.

What it doesn't have so much of right now is a great app ecosystem. It's compatible with apps designed for older Samsung Gears, but that library is only ... okay. Better than it was when the Gear 2 launched, but still missing many popular services.

If developers jump onboard and support its app ecosystem, the Gear S could be something special. But until that happens, it's going to be limited to more basic tasks: calls, texts, emails and the occasional web page (more on that in a minute).

Like any device with its own cellular connection, you'll need to sign up for a separate data plan for the Gear S. So far mine uses very little mobile data (we're talking a few megabytes per day at the most), so you can probably get away with a cheap plan (they're priced like tablet plans). But it's an added expense nonetheless, and something to consider when looking at the Gear's cost.

The watch itself has a futuristic design that's far from subtle. Smartwatches like the Moto 360 and Pebble Steel take on a jewelry-like aesthetic, offering some tech functionality without necessarily looking like tech products. The Gear S? Well, it's not one of those watches. This is a tiny, curved smartphone that you strap to your wrist – and it doesn't try to hide it.

The star of the show is that 2-in curved display. The 300 PPI AMOLED screen is sharp and colorful. The potential for a smartphone-like experience is here. Again, it's just a question of whether developers will make the apps.

One of the screen's biggest perks is that it has room for a keyboard. Voice control is a great fit for wearables, but how many of us want to talk to our wrists in public? The Gear S' keyboard (which you can either tap or swipe) lets you send messages or search the web without airing your business to everyone around you.

The screen is big for a watch, but small for a keyboard – small enough that it's tricky to hit the right letters. And when it comes to Swype-style tracing, that curved glass also takes some getting used to. Fortunately it has great auto-correct, and almost always translates my gibberish into the words I was trying to write.

Voice control is still an option if you want it, and Samsung's S Voice assistant responds faster than it did on the older Gears. It still doesn't let you ask for things like specific sports scores or random trivia questions, and is inferior to both Google Now and Siri.

Inexplicably, S Voice took one huge step back. On older Gears, you could set reminders and add calendar events from S Voice. But for some reason, when I try to do that on the Gear S, I get "adding tasks is not supported" or "adding calendar events is not supported." You can't add them any other way either.

I have no idea why Samsung would take this away. It's a big strike against the Gear S (and something that rival Android Wear watches do well). For many shoppers, this could be a deal-breaker. Samsung could potentially fix this mistake with a future software update, but it's disappointing that we're left waiting for something so basic to return to the fold.

Like the last round of Tizen-running Gear watches, the Gear S has some fitness tracking onboard: it can track your steps throughout the day, and also log individual workouts. It has a heart rate monitor too. As far as I can tell, this is mostly unchanged from what you'll find on older Gears.

One nice touch that is new: Samsung added an "Inactive Time" alert, which nudges you to get up and move when you've been sitting too long. You can set the interval as frequent as every 30 minutes or as infrequent as every 2 hours. If you work at a computer or spend most of your day sitting down, it's a great feature.

The Gear S has its own GPS radio, and ships with a Nokia Here app for navigation. I found it to be a bit clunky at first (for some reason the watch wasn't using location services, despite the setting being activated), but it ultimately got going. As you'd expect, it gives you real-time, turn-by-turn directions (pedestrian and public transit only). It can vibrate your wrist when it's time to turn. And it too can work when your phone is sitting at home.

Another nice touch is the Gear S' first killer app, the Opera Mini web browser. Web browsing can only be so good on a 2-in screen, but the app makes the most of it. Mobile versions of web pages are surprisingly readable (if only barely), and you can quickly search the web with the virtual keyboard. It's another way that the Gear S tempts you to leave your phone at home.

Battery life is good. It should last at least a day, maybe two, depending on how you use it. While paired with my phone over Bluetooth, it only dropped 1 or 2 percentage points per hour. When paired over the Internet, it fell around 4 or 5 percent per hour.

The Gear S is a fascinating device – even if it does feel like two steps forward and one step back.

On one hand, it's one of the most forward-thinking wearables I've used, with its curved screen, virtual keyboard and 3G data. Again, it won't replace your phone, but it's movement in that direction.

... on the other hand, it doesn't support something as basic as reminders, has a mediocre selection of third-party apps, and won't let you compose an email that isn't a reply. These may or may not be deal-breakers, depending on what you're looking for. Either way, they keep the Gear S from reaching its full potential.

If you want a smartwatch that's still smart even when your phone isn't around, the Gear S is worth checking out. It has a few annoying holes, and can also be pretty expensive once you factor in a data plan. But it does mark a step forward for wearables and, with the right software support (which may or may not come), it could become a truly awesome device.

The Gear S is available now in the US, for around US$300-400 full retail (it varies from carrier to carrier). US carriers are also offering it discounted with a new contract or installment plan.

Product page: Samsung

 

Flux 3D: A cheap, modular 3D scanner, printer and laser engraver

 

The Flux, a modular all-in-one 3D printer that goes for under US$700, has just hit Kickstarter

Image Gallery (7 images)

A Taiwanese team has developed the Flux 3D, a cheap all-in-one 3D printer, scanner and laser engraver that, thanks to its modularity, also leaves room for further expansion. The device also allows users to create, share and download designs directly from their mobile devices and connect to the printer via Bluetooth for more convenient operation.

It wasn't too long ago that buying your own personal 3D printer would set you back a small fortune. These days, though, prices are dropping so quickly that even those of us on a modest budget can afford a good quality all-in-one 3D printer and scanner – something that was unthinkable only a few years back. First came the $2,499 Zeus, then, just a few months ago, the $1,395 Genesis.

The $679 Flux picks up where these two left off, giving you arguably the best bang for your buck yet with a multi-purpose printer, scanner and laser engraver that's not only cheaper than the rest, but which can also be further augmented by adding separate modules as they are developed.

According to the developers, the Flux's printer uses high-resolution stepper motors to achieve a layer height of just 0.05 mm and an XY resolution of 0.02 mm to build objects that are up to 18 cm (7.1 in) tall and 17 cm (6.7 in) in diameter, printing at a maximum speed of 100 mm/s. As the object is being printed, three cooling fans help increase printing precision and reduce the risk of overheating.

To switch from printing to scanning, you simply remove the plastic base and expose the 1.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, which can be used to scan small objects as they sit on a rotating platform. The people behind Flux tell us that the scanner can acquire 3D models for objects up to 8 cm (3.1 in) tall and 14 cm (5.5 in) in diameter.

The optional laser engraver is the first of the several planned interchangeable modules built for the printer. It's a 200-mW laser head that lets you burn patterns on various surfaces, including foods (steak, toast, vegetables), wood, plastic and leather, as well as cutting thin materials like paper and cardboard.

According to the creators, you'll be able to switch modules quickly and without tools, as they're held in place by a system of magnets. That's good news, because there are plans to add more modules in the future. The creators tell us that several types of extruders (specifically a dual extruder, a ceramics and a pastry extruder) are currently in the works.

The Flux will pair with your smartphone or other Bluetooth-enabled device, allowing you to download and share designs from an online store, as well as create simple 3D designs directly from your mobile device. Proprietary software, currently in development, will also allow more advanced CAD designs.

Assuming it reaches its Kickstarter campaign goal of US$100,000, a pledge of $499 will get you an early-bird Flux with the printer and scanner functionality, while with a $679 pledge you can have the laser engraving module as well. The team is aiming to deliver the printers by July 2015.

The team's Kickstarter pitch video can be viewed below.

Source: FLUX

 

Possible alternative to antibiotics: Nanoparticles made of lipids

 

November 2, 2014

University of Bern

A novel substance for the treatment of severe bacterial infections has been developed to work without antibiotics. Scientists say that this would prevent the development of antibiotic resistance. Scientists engineered artificial nanoparticles made of lipids, "liposomes" that closely resemble the membrane of host cells. These liposomes act as decoys for bacterial toxins and so are able to sequester and neutralize them.

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Scientists from the University of Bern have developed a novel substance for the treatment of severe bacterial infections without antibiotics, which would prevent the development of antibiotic resistance.

Ever since the development of penicillin almost 90 years ago, antibiotics have remained the gold standard in the treatment of bacterial infections. However, the WHO has repeatedly warned of a growing emergence of bacteria that develop antibiotic resistance. Once antibiotics do no longer protect from bacterial infection, a mere pneumonia might be fatal.

Alternative therapeutic concepts which lead to the elimination of bacteria, but do not promote resistance are still lacking.

A team of international scientists has tested a novel substance, which has been developed by Eduard Babiychuk and Annette Draeger from the Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern in Switzerland. This compound constitutes a novel approach for the treatment of bacterial infections: the scientists engineered artificial nanoparticles made of lipids, "liposomes" that closely resemble the membrane of host cells. These liposomes act as decoys for bacterial toxins and so are able to sequester and neutralize them. Without toxins, the bacteria are rendered defenseless and can be eliminated by the cells of the host's own immune system. The study will be published in Nature Biotechnology Nov 2nd.

Artificial bait for bacterial toxins

In clinical medicine, liposomes are used to deliver specific medication into the body of patients. Here, the Bernese scientists have created liposomes which attract bacterial toxins and so protect host cells from a dangerous toxin attack.

"We have made an irresistible bait for bacterial toxins. The toxins are fatally attracted to the liposomes, and once they are attached, they can be eliminated easily without danger for the host cells," says Eduard Babiychuk who directed the study.

"Since the bacteria are not targeted directly, the liposomes do not promote the development of bacterial resistance," adds Annette Draeger. Mice which were treated with the liposomes after experimental, fatal septicemia survived without additional antibiotic therapy.

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Bern. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Brian D Henry, Daniel R Neill, Katrin Anne Becker, Suzanna Gore, Laura Bricio-Moreno, Regan Ziobro, Michael J Edwards, Kathrin Mühlemann, Jörg Steinmann, Burkhard Kleuser, Lukasz Japtok, Miriam Luginbühl, Heidi Wolfmeier, André Scherag, Erich Gulbins, Aras Kadioglu, Annette Draeger, Eduard B Babiychuk. Engineered liposomes sequester bacterial exotoxins and protect from severe invasive infections in mice. Nature Biotechnology, 2014; DOI: 10.1038/nbt.3037

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The Latest Artificial Heart: Part Cow, Part Machine

 

A French company is preparing to test a complex artificial heart that combines biology with machinery.

• By Susan Young Rojahn on May 30, 2013

Why It Matters

A lot of people in the world have heart failure, meaning their hearts cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to other organs.

Cardio cyborg: This rendering shows the biological valves at the top of Carmat’s artificial heart.

A new kind of artificial heart that combines synthetic and biological materials as well as sensors and software to detect a patient’s level of exertion and adjust output accordingly is to be tested in patients at four cardiac surgery centers in Europe and the Middle East. If the “bioprosthetic” device, made by the Paris-based Carmat, proves to be safe and effective, it could be given to patients waiting for a heart transplant. Currently, only one fully artificial heart, made by Tucson, Arizona-based SynCardia, has U.S., Canadian, and European regulatory approval for use in patients.

Attempts to completely replace the human heart with a prosthetic device started decades ago (see “CPR for the Artificial Heart”). It is hugely challenging to create a device that can withstand the harsh conditions of the body’s circulatory system and reliably pump 35 million times per year, as the heart does. Other complications, such as stroke caused by blood clots in artificial heart implants, have also caused setbacks. For these reasons, fully artificial hearts typically serve as a temporary measure, or as a “bridge to transplant,” although the FDA has recently granted a humanitarian use exemption for one of SynCardia’s artificial hearts for patients not currently eligible for a donor heart.

But the great need for a life-saving treatment in heart-failure patients has driven investigators, both in academia and private industry, to try to build a better artificial heart. Around 5.7 million people in the U.S. have heart failure at any given time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In these patients, the heart’s pumping abilities have grown so weak that it cannot deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to the body. Sometimes failure is limited to one side of the heart and can be treated with an implant that boosts flow but does not replace the heart entirely. But in cases where both sides of the heart are failing, a patient will need a heart transplant. And with demand for heart transplants far exceeding donations, patients can wait for years for a donor heart, while others may be ineligible altogether because of other health issues.

An artificial heart can provide a life-saving bridge while a patient waits for a transplant. Surgeons have implanted a SynCardia artificial heart in over 1,000 patients. Air is pumped from the external control system (which has recently evolved from a large, 418-pound driver to a wearable 13.5-pound driver) through tubes that connect through the skin into the device. Puffs of air expand two small balloons inside each chamber of the artificial heart, which pushes blood out of the prosthesis.

In Carmat’s design, two chambers are each divided by a membrane that holds hydraulic fluid on one side. A motorized pump moves hydraulic fluid in and out of the chambers, and that fluid causes the membrane to move; blood flows through the other side of each membrane. The blood-facing side of the membrane is made of tissue obtained from a sac that surrounds a cow’s heart, to make the device more biocompatible. “The idea was to develop an artificial heart in which the moving parts that are in contact with blood are made of tissue that is [better suited] for the biological environment,” says Piet Jansen, chief medical officer of Carmat.

That could make patients less reliant on anti-coagulation medications. The Carmat device also uses valves made from cow heart tissue and has sensors to detect increased pressure within the device. That information is sent to an internal control system that can adjust the flow rate in response to increased demand, such as when a patient is exercising.

The system was developed through collaboration between the European Aerospace and Defense Systems and Alain Carpentier, a cardiac surgeon who pioneered heart valve repair.

“It’s a brilliant device; I just worry about the size and mechanical durability,” says William Cohn, a heart surgeon at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston. Tasked with pumping 100,000 times or more a day, most artificial hearts don’t last more than a few years, says Cohn. “A device that lasts two to three years is, at best, a stopgap for transplant.”

Carmat’s device is just one of several artificial hearts in development across the globe. Cohn and colleagues have been testing another sort of artificial heart which does not generate a heartbeat, but instead continuously pumps blood out through the body. The hope is that a continuous-flow heart, although quite different than the natural organ, will avoid the risk of mechanical failure that hangs over the pulsing-flow artificial hearts.

Recently, the Texas Heart Institute recruited Australian engineer Daniel Timms to bring his novel continuous-flow artificial heart to Houston. The device is small, does not pulse, and has a single moving part: a magnetically levitated rotor that sports two impellers, one that pushes blood from the body into the lungs to be re-oxygenated, and the other to push the oxygen-rich blood into the body. The simplicity of the design, which Cohn says should resist mechanical wear and tear, contrasts with the complex Carmat artificial heart, which contains many moving parts. But Timms’s system is years away from being tested in patients, and will first be tested in calves.

 

Carmat's second patient was implanted on 2014, August 5: Health ministry

PARIS (Reuters) - An artificial heart made by Carmat was fitted into a second patient on Aug 5 and the operation went smoothly, the French health ministry said in a statement on Monday.

"The operation was carried out in good conditions" at the CHU hospital of Nantes, the statement said, adding that the minister sent her best wishes to the patient, of whom no details were given.

Carmat confirmed earlier on Monday it had fitted a second patient with one of its artificial hearts and would continue its clinical trials on two more patients. It did not reveal a date.

The clinical trial be considered a success if these first patients survive with the implant for at least a month. The patients selected suffer from terminal heart failure - when the sick heart can no longer pump enough blood to sustain the body - and have only a few weeks, or even days, to live.

(Reporting by Natalie Huet; Editing by Brian Love)