Romanian president Nicu\u0219or Dan visited a team of researchers and students from \u2018Grigore T. Popa\u2019 University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Ia\u0219i, the creators of the smallest artificial heart with applications for both adults and children, on Saturday, October 25.<\/p>\n
In 2023, UMF \u201cGrigore Popa\u201d announced that the Mavis Artificial Heart team from the higher education institution in Ia\u0219i won the \u201cAward for the Most Advanced Artificial Heart\u201d in the grand final of the \u201cHeart Hackathon\u201d competition (the world\u2019s first student competition for developing an artificial heart), which took place on October 29 in Dallas.<\/p>\n
After the event, the team managed to get sponsors and establish contacts for continuing product development.<\/p>\n
The UMF Ia\u0219i team won the same award again in 2024, for the second consecutive year, in the final of the world competition, which this time took place in Japan. This time, the students from Ia\u0219i, coordinated by Dr. Alexandru Ple\u015foianu, designed the smallest artificial heart in the world that can also be implanted in a newborn, controlled via a mobile phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe smallest fully implantable artificial heart, with applications for both adults and children, is a project developed by a group of researchers and students from Ia\u0219i with whom I spoke yesterday. I was impressed by this project with huge potential,\u201d Nicu\u0219or Dan said.<\/p>\n
According to the head of state, the prototype is in an advanced stage of laboratory testing, and animal preclinical trials are planned in the next 12 months.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf these stages are completed, Romania will become the first country in Eastern Europe capable of developing and validating its own fully implantable mechanical circulatory support technology,\u201d the president said on his Facebook page.<\/p>\n
The head of state believes that the opportunity offered by these projects represents \u201cnew solutions\u201d for patients with advanced heart failure who are on transplant waiting lists, as well as \u201cthe formation of a new generation of specialists in biomedical engineering who can deepen Romania\u2019s integration into the European advanced research ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI conveyed to the MAVIS Artificial Heart team my admiration and full support. We are in great need of students, researchers, and mentors like them,\u201d Nicu\u0219or Dan concluded.<\/p>\n