Photo caption:听Led by UC Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering Debbie Munro, a team of UC Biomedical Club students presented their Artificial Heart prototype in Japan. From left to right: Tharusha Perera, Liam Bately, Rokhan Kalim, Gene Lee, Cameron Reburn, and Katy Buttle.听
An estimated 17.9 million people globally die due to heart disease each year, and with only 5,000 hearts available for transplant, it is believed that a fully artificial heart could benefit 60,000 patients awaiting heart transplants.听听
The Heart Hackathon awards prizes for innovation, practical feasibility, and commercialisation potential, encouraging teams to bring new ideas to a field that could transform cardiovascular medicine.听听
founded Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha听 九州影院 UC BIOMED Club in 2019. The club鈥檚 goal is to contribute to the creation of an artificial heart that can replicate the complex mechanics of a human heart while ensuring it is safe, effective, and accessible.听听
鈥淲e have developed a versatile prototype, allowing us to test various blade geometries that mimic the blood flow patterns essential for heart function,鈥 says UC Bachelor of Science student and UC BIOMED Club president Jayden Hunt-Hoskin.听听听
鈥淲e鈥檙e creating a foundation that future teams can build on, focusing not only on innovation but also on manufacturability and long-term feasibility. With a waterproof, modular design, the current prototype allows for ongoing adjustments and improvements.鈥澨
Associate Professor Munro, who leads the Minor in Biomedical Engineering at UC, says the key to both the club and any future solutions must be diverse and multi-disciplinary.听听
鈥淲e started this club to create a space where students interested in biomedical engineering could come together and work on meaningful, real-world problems. It鈥檚 been incredible to see how far we鈥檝e come,鈥 Associate Professor Munro says.听
鈥淲e want to make sure our club is inclusive and attracts talent from all backgrounds 鈥 it鈥檚 essential for solving the kinds of complex problems we鈥檙e working on.听听
鈥淲e attract a very diverse cohort, and that鈥檚 exactly what we want 鈥 to bring more voices to the table because that鈥檚 how we get the best solution. Our very own club president [Jayden] is a Science student, and women make up a third of the club.鈥澨
With higher rates of heart disease for M膩ori populations, Associate Professor Munro knows this project cannot be a success without inclusivity and differing cultural perspectives.听听
鈥淚ncluding M膩ori perspectives in our design process is critical. We want our artificial heart to be not only functional but also culturally sensitive.鈥澨
The team is also looking externally to ensure the ongoing success of the project, she says. 鈥淲e hope to secure further external funding to sustain this work long term, so our team can continue, and we are also looking for experts who may wish to join the project.鈥澨
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 - Good health and wellbeing.
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