Biomedical engineering: The quest for the ultimate artificial heart: The Salt Lake City achievement is only the beginning; in the offing are smaller, lighter systems, and eventually a fully implantable electrohydraulic heart

Discusses the development of a fully functional artificial heart that is totally implanted in the body. The University of Utah heart system that sustains life for Dr. Clark is illustrated. In West Germany a similar but more compact air-driving system was built. It might be called the second stage in what seems to be a four-stage progression towards the ultimate artificial heart. The University of Utah is developing the third stage, an electrohydraulic heart in which the heart and motor would be implanted, but the power supply and controls would remain outside the body. The final stage calls for smaller, more powerful batteries that would allow implantation of everything needed for an independent artificial heart.