Jarvik Heart, Inc. is a private company focused to development of miniaturized heart assist devices for the treatment of severe heart failure. In the mid nineties, NIH had funded a major 5-year project to develop the Jarvik 2000 for long-term use. Dr. Jarvik served as the Principal Investigator; Transicoil, Inc., an aerospace technology firm was the prime contractor; and Dr. Frazier at Texas Heart Institute as the co-investigator, was responsible for In Vivo testing. The goal of the program, to develop a highly reliable innovative Left Ventricular Assist System, is achieved in the following five years.The Jarvik 2000 FlowMaker®, Jarvik Heart's successful pilot heart pump, is an investigational device used in the United States to support patients awaiting heart transplants. In Europe, the Jarvik 2000 has earned CE Mark certification for both bridge-to-transplant and lifetime use. As an investigational device, the Jarvik 2000 has been implanted in more than 200 heart failure patients with no mechanical failures, and has successfully sustained and improved the condition of patients awaiting transplants, as well as those who have chosen the device for lifetime use.
