CalendarZ

  1. Home
  2. On This Day
  3. July
  4. 2
  5. AbioCor

Events on July 2 in history

2001Jul, 2

The AbioCor self-contained artificial heart is first implanted.

AbioCor was a total artificial heart (TAH) developed by the Massachusetts-based company AbioMed. It was fully implantable within a patient, due to a combination of advances in miniaturization, biosensors, plastics and energy transfer. The AbioCor ran on a rechargeable source of power. The internal battery was charged by a transcutaneous energy transmission (TET) system, meaning that no wires or tubes penetrated the skin, reducing the risk of infection. However, because of its size, this heart was only compatible with men who had a large frame. It had a product life expectancy of 18 months.AbioCor was surgically introduced into 15 total patients, 14 of them during a clinical trial and one after FDA approval. However, due to insufficient evidence of its efficacy, AbioMed abandoned further development of the product.

References

Choose Another Date

Events on 2001

  • 6May

    Pope John Paul II

    During a trip to Syria, Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to enter a mosque.
  • 11Sep

    September 11 attacks

    Two hijacked aircraft crash into the World Trade Center in New York City, while a third smashes into The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and a fourth into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in a series of coordinated suicide attacks by 19 members of al-Qaeda. A total of 2,996 people are killed.
  • 14Sep

    September 11, 2001 attacks

    Historic National Prayer Service held at Washington National Cathedral for victims of the September 11 attacks. A similar service is held in Canada on Parliament Hill, the largest vigil ever held in the nation's capital.
  • 17Sep

    September 11 attacks

    The New York Stock Exchange reopens for trading after the September 11 attacks, the longest closure since the Great Depression.
  • 7Oct

    War in Afghanistan (2001-2014)

    The Global War on Terrorism begins as a result of the September 11 attacks. The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan initiates with an air assault and covert operations on the ground.