Heart 8 around the two ventricles and proceeding toward the apex. This complex swirling pattern allows the heart to pump blood more effectively. There are two types of cells in cardiac muscle: muscle cells which have the ability to contract easily, and pacemaker cells of the conducting system. The muscle cells make up the bulk (99%) of cells in the atria and ventricles. These contractile cells are connected by intercalated discs which allow a rapid response to impulses of action potential from the pacemaker cells. The intercalated discs allow the cells to act as a syncytium and enable the contractions that
Artificial heart portable driver to power the heart with pulses of air. The drivers also monitor blood flow for each ventricle. Another U.S. team has a prototype called the 2005 MagScrew Total Artificial Heart. Teams in Japan and South Korea are also racing to produce similar devices. The Cleveland Heart is a continuous-flow total artificial heart (CFTAH) By combining its valved ventricles with the control technology and roller screw developed at Penn State, AbioMed has designed a smaller, more stable heart, the AbioCor II. This pump, which should be implantable in most men and 50% of women with a life span of