World Heart to complete initial testing soon
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
World Heart, a Canadian developer of an artificial heart, expects to complete in vitro and animal testing of its first product, the HeartSaver VAD, by the middle of the year. The company based in Ottawa, Ontario, raised $19 million in its initial public offering last year. The HeartSaver is the first pulsatile ventricular assist device (VAD) designed to be permanently implanted in the chest cavity alongside the natural heart. Pilot production of prototypes and long-term animal testing is expected to begin before the end of the year. Clinical trials are scheduled for 1999.