50 years of heart innovation: Penn State College of Medicine’s pioneering pump transformed cardiac care
In 1976, Penn State physicians marked a major milestone in cardiac care when a patient who could not be weaned from a heart-lung machine became the first successful clinical recipient of the Penn State Heart-Assist Pump, launching Penn State College of Medicine’s enduring leadership in mechanical circulatory support.
Developed through a pioneering collaboration between the College of Medicine and Penn State College of Engineering, the Penn State Heart-Assist Pump represented a significant advancement in biomedical engineering and surgical innovation. Under the leadership of Dr. William S. Pierce, a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, engineers and technical specialists designed the first surgically implantable, seam-free, pulsatile blood pump to achieve widespread clinical use. The device also advanced the application of fluid mechanics principles in circulatory support technology.
The pump quickly became an essential tool in the treatment of patients with severe heart failure, particularly as a bridge to transplantation. By the early 1980s, medical centers nationwide were utilizing the device. In 1990, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated the Penn State Heart-Assist Pump an International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. At that time, the device had provided circulatory support to more than 250 patients without a single device-failure-related fatality.
The program’s early success established a strong foundation for continued advancement in heart-assist and artificial heart technology, including the Penn State Heart that was first successfully implanted in 1985. Today, that legacy continues through the College of Medicine and the Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute, where clinicians and researchers advance next-generation heart pump technologies focused on improving durability, safety and patient outcomes.
Fifty years after its first successful use, the Penn State Heart-Assist Pump remains a defining example of interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation and sustained leadership in cardiovascular care.
Learn more about our heart pump history here
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