Total artificial heart to usher in new age of cardiology.

A battery-powered artificial heart--designed to replace the diseased heart both physically and functionally--is completing readiness testing in preparation for human trials. The initial goal is for the artificial heart to last 5 years, at which time a donor heart can be transplanted. No immunosuppression will be needed with the total artificial heart, and the recipient's hospital stay will be much shorter, resulting in a tremendous decreases in cost.