high res (2.7 M) low res (69 K) | JSC2004-E-16052 --- Dr. Michael DeBakey, at right in this file photo, holds the MicroMed-DeBakey
VAD (ventricular assist device), a tiny heart-assist pump. With him is one of his heart transplant patients,
David Saucier, a NASA Johnson Space Center engineer. They helped develop the idea of using Shuttle fuel pump
technology to design the device. It has been implanted into more than 200 patients, and recently was given FDA
approval for use for children 5 to 16. It can be a "bridge" to transplant, helping keep patients alive until a
donor organ is available. |
