In a milestone development, a ‘made-in-India’ heart will be a reality soon, which is currently under development by a team of IITians and investors from across the country. The device will be available for just INR 20 Lakhs compared to the presently imported artificial heart priced at INR 1.20 crore. 

Dr. KR Balakrishnan, a veteran heart surgeon, said, “It will be a milestone in treating heart patients battling end-stage heart failure, and for those who are so fragile that they are not even eligible for a heart transplant.” He was delivering the prestigious Dr. KG Deshpande Memorial Oration on ‘Battling End-Stage Heart Failure in India: the journey so far and the road ahead,’ a lecture hosted by the Cardiology Society of India. 

An artificial heart or a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a pump used in patients with end-stage heart failure. The device is used while a patient is awaiting a heart transplant or as a destination therapy for those who cannot get a transplant. The device is a battery-operated, implantable, mechanical pump that helps the left ventricle pump blood to the rest of the body. 

[Resource: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/medical-devices/made-in-india-artificial-heart-to-be-8-times-cheaper-than-imported-one/94445831]