Artificial heart newer versions, such as the Heartmate II, developed by The Texas Heart Institute of Houston, provide continuous flow. These pumps (which may be centrifugal or axial flow) are smaller and potentially more durable and last longer than the current generation of total heart replacement pumps. Another major advantage of a VAD is that the patient keeps the natural heart, which may still function for temporary back-up support if the mechanical pump were to stop. This may provide enough support to keep the patient alive until a solution to the problem is implemented. In August 2006, an artificial heart was implanted
Artificial kidney approvals in other areas. The Kidney Project is a national research initiative that focuses on the development and testing of an implanted, freestanding bioartifical kidney. The Kidney Project received six million dollars in government grants. Artificial kidney Artificial kidney is often a synonym for hemodialysis, but may also, refer to renal replacement therapies (with exclusion of kidney transplantation) that are in use and/or in development. This article deals with bioengineered kidneys/bioartificial kidneys that are grown from renal cell lines/renal tissue. The first successful artificial kidney was developed by Willem Kolff in the Netherlands during the early 1940s. Kolff was the