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Artificial Organs

Innovators and Economic Impact

As the need for artificial limbs and synthetic organs continue to increase over time, so does the demand for affordable procedures and treatments and high performance artificial limbs is expected to meet the standards of the economic world.

In developed countries, the main cause of lower limb amputation is circulatory dysfunction, this usually pertains to those who are older and already contain health problems. However, in the developing countries, the most common cause of amputation is traumatic related experiences. Advancements in artificial limbs for a more reliable use have been preferred by many people who are in need of prosthetics. Prosthetics commonly appear robotic-like and now people are demanding a more realistic and lifelike limb. Silicone is used to give the limb it’s lifelike features, however, researchers are still finding ways to create a more lightweight material since silicone has a heavy substance to it. The cost of such procedure can go up to about $3,500 every few years due to an inevitable wear and tear from everyday use.

To contribute to the lower cost of manufacturing such devices, a company known as The Shower Limb, developed by Blatchford, established a line of plastic Atlas Prostheses which is designed only for the use in tropical climates. Also raising economic awareness, The International Committee of the Red Cross, has promoted products of low cost polypropylene plastic prostheses which are designed by unskilled workers during a traumatic event or an environmental catastrophe leaving a high chance of amputations.

In an article called PubMed, it estimated that about 32,000 people varied between the ages of 55-70 years old are more prone to heart disease and are more likely candidates for artificial heart transplants each year. This creates financial complications for those who are in need of further charges for procedures and continually monitored for medical reasons. The cost can immediately vary from $100,000 to $300,000 per patient in the following year. As discussed, such an expensive innovation of an artificial heart is suggested for a comparison to other medical programs which can hopefully elongate life and improve it’s quality. It is proven that a viable artificial heart is more effective for the treatment of end-stage cardiac disease than a real-life heart transplant. As the production of synthetic and artificial organs continue to increase and advance in technology, many scientists and researchers are still finding ways to improve low-cost budgets for those who are able to afford those procedures. Hopefully, in the future, artificial organs can become a multi-billion dollar annual investment and detailed assessments of the artificial heart can then be performed.