Press Release:

Biomedical engineer Richard Smith holds the Barney Clark Award given to him by the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs.

TUCSON, Ariz. – July 11, 2007 – On June 7, biomedical engineer Richard G. Smith, MSEE, CCE, was honored by the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) for his “success in the clinical application of artificial hearts and VADs against overwhelming odds and criticisms.”

The award recognized Smith as a “leader in moving the Total Artificial Heart from failure to highly successful clinical applications,” at ASAIO’s 53rd Annual Conference, held in Chicago, June 7-9. Smith received the Barney Clark Award 25 years after its namesake, Barney Clark, was implanted with the Jarvik 7, in 1982.

“It’s not hard to be a wingman to Dr. Copeland,” Smith said. “He’s truly a pioneer and leader in heart devices, and especially the CardioWest temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t).”

Smith and world-renowned cardiac surgeon Jack Copeland, M.D., both started at University Medical Center (UMC) in Tucson, Ariz., in 1977. The two began working together in 1985. Together that year, they performed the world’s first successful bridge-to-transplant (BTT) using the Jarvik 7 artificial heart. The use of the artificial heart as a bridge-to-transplant marked a medical milestone because the device was designed and then used as a permanent artificial heart from 1982 to 1985.

“Receiving this award truly was an honor,” Smith said, “but it’s hard to ever envision getting an award for doing the work you love.”

The Jarvik 7 became the CardioWest TAH-t when UMC took over development in the early 1990s. Budget cutbacks at UMC came close to stopping the study of this technology. To save the TAH-t, SynCardia Systems, Inc., was formed in 2001 by Smith, Copeland, and Marvin J. Slepian, M.D. The company is the current manufacturer of the TAH-t.

This device is the first and only temporary artificial heart to receive FDA and CE mark approval. The device is currently designated as a bridge-to-transplant. Over 650 patients have received the TAH-t, accounting for over 100 patient years of life on the device.

A study of the TAH-t published August 2004 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM 2004; 351: 859-867) showed that 79 percent of patients receiving the TAH-t survived to transplant, the highest survival rate for any device. The TAH-t also has the highest cardiac output (up to 9.5L/min) and the shortest blood path of any mechanical circulatory support device. The short blood path reduces the risk for thromboembolitic events.

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About the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart
SynCardia Systems, Inc. (Tucson, AZ) is the privately-held manufacturer of the world's first and only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial Heart. Originally used as a permanent replacement heart, SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to transplant for people dying from end-stage biventricular heart failure. There have been more than 1,000 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, accounting for more than 250 patient years of life.

Similar to a heart transplant, SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart replaces both failing heart ventricles and the four heart valves, eliminating the symptoms and source of end-stage biventricular failure. Unlike a donor heart, the Total Artificial Heart is immediately available at SynCardia Certified Centers and does not require expensive anti-rejection medication, which can cause subsequent complications. It is the only device that provides immediate, safe blood flow of up to 9.5 liters per minute through both ventricles. This high volume of safe blood flow helps speed the recovery of vital organs, helping make the patient a better transplant candidate.

SynCardia Ranked #20 Among World's 50 Most Innovative Companies
In March 2011, Fast Company magazine ranked SynCardia #20 in its annual list of the "World's 50 Most Innovative Companies" for "giving mobility to artificial heart recipients." Weighing 13.5 pounds, SynCardia's Freedom® portable driver is the world's first wearable driver designed to power the Total Artificial Heart both inside and outside the hospital. The Freedom driver is CE approved for use in Europe and undergoing an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study in the U.S.

For additional information, please visit: http://www.syncardia.com
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Media Contact:
Don Isaacs
Vice President of Communications
SynCardia Systems, Inc.
Cell: (520) 955-0660