A pulse no longer necessary for life(medicalxpress.com)
medicalxpress.com
A pulse no longer necessary for life
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-pulse-longer-life.html
33 comments
I wonder if any competitive shooters have one. Combine it with a closed, continuous carburetor for oxygenating the blood like in Sjambak[1], and you'd have quite the super-sniper.
[1] http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30002/30002-h/30002-h.htm
[1] http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30002/30002-h/30002-h.htm
That's actually a very crafty idea.
I actually would have thought that the breathing cycle was more disruptive to a shot than the pulse.
I have also wondered if there is a place in that area for the use of gyroscopes. I can't remember if it was a news article or a novel, but my recollection is that shooting from helicopters employed gyros.
I actually would have thought that the breathing cycle was more disruptive to a shot than the pulse.
I have also wondered if there is a place in that area for the use of gyroscopes. I can't remember if it was a news article or a novel, but my recollection is that shooting from helicopters employed gyros.
I'm pretty sure I read that they were a bracelet. This seems like a small price to pay to have a functioning heart.
You might want a tattoo on your neck explaining the situation (assuming that's where first aiders will commonly try to find your pulse).
That's by far the easiest pulse to find. Though, from my training, I'm always feeling for breath while taking a pulse at the same time. For first aid reasons, usually the reason you take a pulse is to gauge whether you need to give CPR - and if they don't have a pulse to begin with, there's not really a point in CPR.
Plus, most people with existing medical conditions worth mentioning usually wear a bracelet. I feel this would fall into the same category.
Plus, most people with existing medical conditions worth mentioning usually wear a bracelet. I feel this would fall into the same category.
I thought CPR pumps the lungs and heart to provide blood and oxygen support -- which is definitely useful when there's no pulse.
In the general case, yes. But what about when the lack of pulse is caused by the machine? How will forced compression be handled by the machine? Blood may still be pumping, and breathing circulates air, if I'm not mistaken.
oh, I misunderstood your comment...
Yeah, CPR will not work if you have this machine instead of a heart, and it isn't working. But if you aren't breathing, it may work because CPR also activates the lungs and circulates air as you said.
Yeah, CPR will not work if you have this machine instead of a heart, and it isn't working. But if you aren't breathing, it may work because CPR also activates the lungs and circulates air as you said.
I know that a company called VentraCor was testing pulseless artificial hearts in sheep at least eight years ago.
I just went looking for their website to post here, but apparently they've shut down. On further googling it turns out that they shut down in 2008 when three out of their 188 human test subjects dropped dead due to their hearts accidentally coming unplugged. Whoops.
I just went looking for their website to post here, but apparently they've shut down. On further googling it turns out that they shut down in 2008 when three out of their 188 human test subjects dropped dead due to their hearts accidentally coming unplugged. Whoops.
Hmm..very interesting technology. Is it the beginning of immortality?
Just for the laughs, this reminds me of the fictional Umbrella Corp. and may be this could end up being the real life version of Resident Evil? :P
Just for the laughs, this reminds me of the fictional Umbrella Corp. and may be this could end up being the real life version of Resident Evil? :P
Hasn't Dick Cheney had no pulse for a while now?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_cheney#Health_problems
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_cheney#Health_problems
Wikipedia says that this is literally true (check the last sentence) - it's not some kind of "Dick Cheney is a heartless bastard" joke. So please hold off on the downvotes (parent was at 0 when I posted).
Yeah, I wasn't going after the guy (this time), though I admit I originally learned that on the Daily Show and just did a quick confirmation-check before I posted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventricular_assist_device -- looks like centrifugal pumps have existed for at least long enough for someone to write a Wikipedia article about them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventricular_assist_device -- looks like centrifugal pumps have existed for at least long enough for someone to write a Wikipedia article about them.
Cheney has the Heartmate II (the same device the researchers used two of in this project). It is an axial flow as opposed to centrifugal pump. The first back non-pulsating heart assist device I could find is the hemopump: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemopump
[deleted]
Dammit, that was the joke I came here to make!
How does the advice adjust for increased oxygen demands, like when you're exercising?
don't think exercise is allowed.
But it would be cool if RPM's of rotor are automatically regulated with possibility of manual tuning.
if it was better than normal heart everyone would want to have it.
Device, not advice.
maybe you're just always getting increased oxygen, making you a superhuman. :)
i wonder what it feels like to have no pulse.
i wonder what it feels like to have no pulse.
This a re-print of a PhysOrg.com article. I tried to find a non-PhysOrg.com site, but PhysOrg.com links to medicalxpress.com
I'm guessing PhysOrg.com is picking up on the fact that people are starting to see their writing as over-hyped and unreliable. Thus a new .com address. Shame, all they have to do is just write well and we'll like them. Talk about going the wrong way.
I'm guessing PhysOrg.com is picking up on the fact that people are starting to see their writing as over-hyped and unreliable. Thus a new .com address. Shame, all they have to do is just write well and we'll like them. Talk about going the wrong way.
The Economist published an interesting article about the device (LVADs) a week or so ago: http://www.economist.com/node/18750728?story_id=18750728
Turns out they've been around since 1994. And yes, Dick Cheney is without a heartbeat.
Turns out they've been around since 1994. And yes, Dick Cheney is without a heartbeat.
I posted this yesterday, IMO Npr's write-up is more interesting: http://www.npr.org/2011/06/13/137029208/heart-with-no-beat-o...
Fascinating. Similar experiments, but in a bit more disturbing and somewhat cruel setting, was carried out by Russian scientist in the 1940's.
Please be aware that the link provided contains a video which is disturbing to the public in general and pet owners in particular.
http://www.archive.org/details/Experime1940
Please be aware that the link provided contains a video which is disturbing to the public in general and pet owners in particular.
http://www.archive.org/details/Experime1940
Isn't this in some ways performing better than a normal human heart? A pump with a constantly rotating mechanism seems more suitable to pumping liquid than a contracting bag of meat and muscle.
I'd give it about ten years before athletes get banned from getting a high performance "sport edition" heart.
I'd give it about ten years before athletes get banned from getting a high performance "sport edition" heart.
You still need to power it somehow and anything that affects electrical systems might kill you.
In sports your heart is a lot less relevant than your lung capacity. You are more likely to end up with not enough oxygen than your heart not being able to pump your blood fast enough.
Which is another problem, there is a reason your heart doesn't beat at full speed: How well does a pump regulate the blood flow?
In sports your heart is a lot less relevant than your lung capacity. You are more likely to end up with not enough oxygen than your heart not being able to pump your blood fast enough.
Which is another problem, there is a reason your heart doesn't beat at full speed: How well does a pump regulate the blood flow?
One could have a Nike-style sensor in the shoe, connected via bluetooth, with a manual override of some sort. Plus a smartphone-based accelerometer and gyro.
Yes, just replace the brainstem with an ever increasing amount of hardware.
Of course, it will be problematic when you accidentally leave the wireless on your smartphone turned on and kill the battery.
Of course, it will be problematic when you accidentally leave the wireless on your smartphone turned on and kill the battery.
Guess one will have to devise another method to check for anxiety.
I could see these also being desired by prisoners wishing to escape confinement by hiding in an exiting truck or perhaps enemy combatants who hope to not be detected by heartbeat sensors(if those even really exist).