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A wireless heart pump - Source: ONE News -
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Thousands could benefit from the latest research from a group of Auckland engineers.
The scientists are pioneering a method of passing power through the skin to heart pumps, without the need for any wires.
Heart pumps keep those with congestive heart failure alive while they wait for a donor heart. But the wire leading from the heart pump, through the body and to the power source, can often be life-threatening.
That is why a group of engineers went looking for a way of transferring the power wirelessly to the heart pump.
The power is transmitted through an external coil which is placed outside the patient's body. A magnetic field effectively passes power through the skin.
And the global potential of a wireless pump is huge, with very few donor hearts available worldwide.
The technology is still in its early stages, but it may one day help give those with congestive heart failure a better chance at life.
