Artificial muscles do the twist

Cambridge, Mass. – In the heart, as in the movies, 3D action beats the 2D experience, hands down. 

In 3D, healthy hearts do their own version of the twist. Rather than a simple pumping action, they circulate blood as if they were wringing a towel. The bottom of the heart twists as it contracts in a counterclockwise direction while the top twists clockwise. Scientists call this the left ventricular twist, and it can be used as an indicator of heart health.

Click here to read the full article by Kristen Kusek.

Source: Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University