European Support for Artificial Heart Pump Project for Children

Prof. Dr. Kerem Pekkan, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Koç University, has been awarded support from the European Research Council (ERC) "ERC Proof of Concept" programme.

Prof. Dr. Pekkan aims to develop an artificial heart pump for use in right heart failure in children under the "Artificial Heart Pump Manufacturing for Children" project, utilizing EUR 150,000 in funding. The project will initially focus on children with Fontan heart disease, commonly known as blue baby disease in the public domain. [caption id="attachment_118802" align="aligncenter"] Prof. Dr. Kerem Pekkan[/caption]   The European Research Council (ERC), which supports Europe's leading researchers and groundbreaking projects, has provided EUR 150,000 in funding to Prof. Dr. Kerem Pekkan, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Koç University, for use in the "Artificial Heart Pump Manufacturing for Children" project. The project aims to produce heart pumps, currently priced between USD 80,000-120,000, at significantly lower cost to expand access to treatment. Prof. Dr. Kerem Pekkan noted that the funding from ERC is available for 18 months, during which he will develop an artificial heart pump for right heart failure in pediatric Fontan patients. The project, led by Koç University, will be conducted in collaboration with Acıbadem University, Istanbul Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiac Hospital, and Istanbul Bilgi University.  

Providing information about the project, Prof. Dr. Kerem Pekkan stated: "The project involves the discovery of a heart pump that requires only a blood impeller, with no need for electricity or control systems. The most important feature of this heart pump is that it has no motor. Therefore, there are no cables or connections entering and leaving the body. Currently, artificial hearts used clinically are supplied at high prices reaching USD 80,000-120,000 per patient.

Additionally, the cables entering and leaving the body restrict the patient's movement. In our project, using a new blood impeller design, we aim to solve these problems in a very cost-effective manner. After completing animal trials of the pump, we will need additional financial support to bring it to patient care. We expect the support of all institutions and everyone who wishes to make a significant social impact on the lives of our patients who truly need this product," he said. Prof. Dr. Kerem Pekkan noted that work on developing artificial heart pumps continues worldwide. Pekkan stated: "At Koç University, Prof. Dr. İsmail Lazoğlu and Prof. Dr. Özlem Yalçın are conducting important work in this area. I specifically work with pediatric cardiac patients. Another pioneer in artificial heart pump manufacturing for children is Prof. Dr. Rıza Türköz, Cardiac Surgery at Acıbadem University. Unfortunately, the development of cardiac devices for children has faced major challenges worldwide. Currently, only the Berlin Heart product can be used in patients, and these are very expensive. In our project, since there is no motor, we have the opportunity to manufacture the artificial pump at considerably lower cost and customized for each patient. The newly established advanced manufacturing infrastructure of our Koç University Translational Medicine Research Center (KUTTAM) is a very important resource for this project. The ERC-PoC programme targets pre-commercialization for researchers with ERC projects, and the budget is very limited compared to the target medical device," he said. The European Research Council (ERC), Europe's most prestigious and recognized scientific institution supporting the most original and innovative scientific research, has awarded funding to 31 prestigious projects from Turkey since 2012. Seventeen of these funds were received by faculty members at Koç University. Currently, 12 of the projects receiving ERC funding support are being conducted at Koç University. Two of the five PoC support awards given from Turkey to date are being conducted by academics at Koç University. Prof. Dr. Kerem Pekkan has received two of these five PoC grants.