2022-08-29
Realheart’s Faisal Zaman to Present at Blood Injury Conference
Realhearts biomedical engineer Faisal Zaman is attending a conference on blood damage in heart pumps, organised by the University of Rostock in Germany, on 1-2 September. Faisal Zaman will present the company's work on developing methods to measure blood damage in pulsating pumps.
Faisal Zaman holds a master's degree in biomedical engineering from Linköping University. He was recruited to Realheart 2021, where he among other things is responsible for the work related to blood testing in the company's blood lab at Karolinska University Hospital.
Blood testing is a central part of developing an artificial heart, as the aim is to achieve as little blood damage as possible. Among other things, they measure haemolysis, i.e. the leakage of haemoglobin from red blood cells, and here they want to achieve the lowest possible value. Faisal Zaman will present the results of these tests, the most important of which is that the Realheart® TAH haemolysis value is less than half that of the leading product on the market today.
Historically, this type of test has been designed for rotary pumps that generate a continuous flow, but Realheart® TAH, the world's first four-chamber artificial heart, is based on a completely different principle with a pulsatile blood flow. A different test methodology is then needed to ensure that the haemolysis measurement is accurate. Faisal Zaman will demonstrate how he and the rest of the team work to optimise the test rig and analyse the outcome with clinical experts.
''In developing the Realheart® TAH, we are creating a tremendous amount of new knowledge that is in high demand internationally. That's why we often get invitations like this one. We are keen to share this knowledge – and at the same time, as a company, we can update ourselves on ongoing research and complement our own knowledge in the field of blood injury," said Ina Laura Perkins, CEO of Realheart.