World’s smallest artificial heart with magnetic levitation implanted in 7-year-old kid

In a groundbreaking medical achievement, doctors in Wuhan, Central China, have successfully implanted the world‍‍`s smallest artificial heart with magnetic levitation into a 7-year-old boy suffering from end-stage heart failure. The device, weighing only 45 grams and roughly the size of a bottle cap, offers a significant new option for treating pediatric heart failure, a global challenge that sees around 40,000 children hospitalized each year in China alone, with 7% to 10% requiring urgent heart transplants. However, due to a severe shortage of donor hearts, fewer than 100 pediatric transplants are performed annually in the country.

The young patient, known as Jun Jun, was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure in May 2024. Although initially advised to undergo a heart transplant, further medical tests revealed he had a rare blood type, making it extremely difficult to find a matching donor. His condition deteriorated as he developed respiratory distress and a heightened risk of infection, making immediate intervention necessary. After detailed consultations with Jun Jun’s family, Professor Dong Nianguo of Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, decided to proceed with implanting a specially designed pediatric artificial heart.

According to the hospital, the implanted device measures just 2.9 centimeters in diameter and is capable of operating at speeds between 1,500 and 3,600 revolutions per minute. This high-powered motor-like mechanism maintains stable blood circulation in young, low-weight patients and allows the heart‍‍`s weakened ventricles to rest while sustaining necessary blood flow. Its design enables critical patients to be supported through minimally invasive procedures, offering strong clinical outcomes without damaging blood vessels, a problem often seen with earlier devices designed primarily for adults.

The artificial heart implanted into Jun Jun is not merely a miniaturized version of adult devices. Instead, it was specially engineered through a collaboration initiated in 2021 between Union Hospital and Shenzhen Core Medical Technology Co. Ltd. Over three years, researchers worked to develop a third-generation, magnetically levitated ventricular assist device customized entirely for children‍‍`s unique anatomical and physiological needs.

After a five-hour surgery, Jun Jun showed remarkable recovery, regaining spontaneous breathing the next day and moving into a specialized care unit within five days. Professor Dong Nianguo reported that the boy’s vital signs are now stable, and his outlook for continued treatment appears promising. Chinese media outlets highlight that this innovation not only fills a significant global gap in pediatric heart failure treatments but also marks a major step forward in developing safer, more effective support systems for young patients facing life-threatening heart conditions.