The patch consists of a mesh of a novel biodegradable material used in surgical sutures, vycril . The mesh is introduced into a culture of skin cells called fibroblasts, which normally form support structures around tissues and organs. When the patch is placed on the heart, it releases cells that grow to strengthen the heart muscle and encourage the formation of new blood vessels.
In the first tests with rats that had been induced to have a heart attack, scientists have found that the patch allows the heart to return to normal pumping. And although the device worked best when applied to the heart immediately after the heart attack (the heart's blood pumping capacity increased by 40%), it was also highly effective when used three weeks after the heart attack (21%).
At the moment the invention is being tested in several hospitals in the United States in patients undergoing bypass.
