SynCardia Introduces New 12-lb Freedom Discharge Driver ,Designed to Provide Quality 'Lifestyle' for Total Artificial Hear...( Latest Gener...),Health

Latest Generation of Driver Technology to Power Artificial Heart Presented at ISHLT in Paris

Tucson, Ariz. (Vocus) April 22, 2009 -- On April 22-25, SynCardia Systems, Inc., manufacturer of the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart, introduced the new 12-lb Freedom™ discharge driver at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) meeting in Paris.

The small, light and “wearable” Freedom driver is designed to provide stable SynCardia Total Artificial Heart patients with a quality “lifestyle” outside the hospital while they wait for a matching donor heart. The Freedom driver is designed to allow patients to live at home, spend time with their family and friends, shop, travel, dine out, attend sporting events, vacation and even return to work.

“The Freedom driver is the next generation in pneumatic driver technology for powering the Total Artificial Heart outside the hospital,” said Rodger Ford, CEO and president of SynCardia. “Our experience discharging stable patients in Europe using our CE approved portable driver has demonstrated that Total Artificial Heart patients can enjoy an active lifestyle at home and in their communities.”

Currently in the U.S., stable Total Artificial Heart patients cannot be discharged. These patients – who are otherwise healthy – must spend weeks, often months trapped in the hospital while they wait for a donor heart. Life for a stable Total Artificial Heart patient confined to the hospital is emotionally, physically and financially draining for them, their family and the hospital.

When the Freedom driver is approved for an FDA / Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study, stable Total Artificial Heart patients will be discharged from the hospital for the first time in the U.S. Discharge improves quality of life whi
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