The Hybrid Heart that grows with the body
TU/e researchers made a soft robotic heart that should eventually be able to attract the body’s own cells to prevent rejection and complications
The soft robotic heart, made with flexible materials and powered by air pressure, can also be controlled without electronic signals
“The Hybrid Heart, developed under the leadership of Erasmus MC, is intended for patients with heart failure. It mimics the heart’s natural rhythm and soft tissue environment using a flexible robotic ‘muscle’ (septum). This approach aims to reduce complications such as blood clots, immune rejection, and infections. The device offers a promising alternative to donor hearts, which are in short supply, and may eventually replace current artificial heart technologies.
In the next phase, the researchers will add the special inner lining developed at TU/e. This layer is designed to attract the patient’s own cells, gradually forming natural tissue as the synthetic material breaks down. Over time, only living tissue from the body remains. This reduces the risk of blood clots and improves acceptance by the immune system, potentially allowing the robotic heart to function for much longer.
The initial tests, described in Nature Communications, showed that the prototype was able to pump blood under lab conditions with a force similar to that of a real heart. It also continued functioning for nearly an hour in a large test animal. The soft robotic heart, made with flexible materials and powered by air pressure, can also be controlled without electronic signals, which has been the common method until now.”
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