Titanium alloy “Rocket Heart” allows the heart to re “ignite” power

In the medical field, titanium alloy with its unique biocompatibility, corrosion resistance and high strength, gradually occupy an important position in medical devices and implants. Among them, the successful development and application of the domestic artificial heart "Rocket Heart" is a model of innovative development of titanium alloy in the field of medical devices. The unique design of this artificial heart adopts the magneto-hydraulic levitation technology, which ensures that there is no mechanical wear and tear, thus greatly extending its service life. Theoretically, this artificial heart can be used for decades, providing a long-term, stable solution for heart failure patients.
Why is it called "Rocket Heart"? According to relevant personnel, the servo mechanism of the rocket is driven by a hydraulic pump, similar to the working principle of the artificial heart, which can also be regarded as a pump, implanted in the human body to assist the heart to transport blood to the whole body. The relevant scientific research institutions have strong servo technology strength after more than 50 years of accumulation, and use this technology for the artificial heart. It is said, "From the servo technology itself, the servo technology used on the rocket is more demanding in terms of rotational speed, power, etc. than the artificial heart, but because the artificial heart is small in size and has to go into the human body, so there are different requirements in terms of safety, comfort, etc."
The use of titanium alloy in the "Rocket Heart" is mainly reflected in its use as the main material for the blood pump. The biocompatibility of titanium alloy ensures that it will not cause rejection in the human body, while its high strength and corrosion resistance ensure that the blood pump can be durable at high speeds and is not affected by blood corrosion.

In addition, the lightweight nature of titanium alloy also makes the "Rocket Heart" implanted in the human body, will not bring too much burden to the patient. In addition to the application of titanium alloy, the development of "Rocket Heart" also benefited from the strong technical support of the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin. Using the "Tianhe Digital Simulation Cloud Platform", the R&D team has carried out digital design and multi-case experimental calibration of the ventricular assist device, which greatly improves the performance of the blood pump and accelerates the R&D iteration and production of new products. Since its approval by the State Drug Administration in 2018, "Rocket Heart" has saved the lives of more than 150 patients. These patients, ranging from the elderly to teenagers, have regained their lives because of "Rocket Heart". The successful development and application of "Rocket Heart" also marks that China has reached the international level in the field of ventricular assist devices.
The innovative development of titanium alloy in the medical field is not only reflected in the research and development of artificial heart, but also widely used in orthopedics, dentistry, neurosurgery and other fields. With the progress of science and technology and growing medical needs, the application of titanium alloy in the medical field will have a broader prospect. In the future, with the continuous progress of material science and medical technology, we have reason to believe that titanium alloy will play an even more important role in the medical field, bringing hope and new life to more patients.