Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Devices
Open Access
ISSN: 2475-7586
ISSN: 2475-7586
John LaRocco
University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Biomed Eng Med Devic
Human head transplant surgery was predicated in terms of matching a compatible donor and recipient, selected based on strict immunological, genetic and physiological criteria. Due to the difficulty of finding appropriate donors, an artificial body was investigated as a suitable substitute. A cylindrical full-body prosthetic, fabricated using sterile stereolithography (SLA) with Accura�® 60 was used as test case, in which the internal organs, spine and head of a donor rat were transplanted. Due to complications associated with unstable blood flow, the donor animal survived one hour after surgery. The findings suggest that an improved perfusion system, internal partitions and insulation would improve donor survivability in future attempts. We demonstrated the first step towards development of a technology with potential to assist the terminally ill and severely handicapped.