The Tale of the Two Tickers: From the Clunky Thump of the 80s to the Pulseless Whir of Tomorrow

Introduction: That Viral Photo and the 40-Year-Old Secret It Forgot

If you’ve spent any time doomscrolling through the digital ether recently, you’ve almost certainly seen it: a striking, almost cinematic image of a surgeon reverently holding a sleek, metallic heart. The caption, breathless with the thrill of discovery, declares that a brave Australian man is the first person in history to survive 100 days with an artificial ticker. It’s a story that feels like pure, uncut futurism—a gleaming testament to human ingenuity and a beacon of hope for millions.

And here’s the wonderful part: the core of that story is absolutely true. There was a courageous Australian patient. The device, a titanium marvel called the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart, is a revolutionary leap forward in medical science.1 The achievement is, without question, monumental.

But the internet, in its glorious, high-speed, and occasionally forgetful wisdom, got one tiny, little, four-decade-old detail spectacularly wrong. The claim that this was the first time a person had crossed the 100-day threshold with a mechanical heart? Well, that’s a bit of a fib. The real 100-Day Club for artificial hearts was founded long ago, in an era of big hair, synth-pop, and technology that looked far less like a sci-fi prop and far more like a piece of industrial machinery.

So, who were these original trailblazers, these forgotten pioneers of the artificial pulse? What was it really like to live with a mechanical heart in the 1980s, tethered to a machine the size of a dishwasher? And if the duration of survival isn't the real "first," what makes this new, silent, pulseless heart a revolution so profound it’s worthy of all the viral hype? To find the answers, we need to take a trip in the medical time machine, back to a moment when the dream of a bionic heart first slammed into the messy, complicated, and awe-inspiring reality of the human body.

Part I: The Real 100-Day Club: A Dentist, a Media Frenzy, and a Dishwasher-Sized Heart

Setting the Scene: December 1982

Let’s set the dial to December 2, 1982. Michael Jackson’s Thriller is about to drop, and audiences are flocking to see a little alien named E.T. phone home. At the University of Utah Medical Center, another kind of history is being made, far from the glamour of Hollywood. A 61-year-old dentist from Seattle named Dr. Barney Bailey Clark is dying.3 His heart, ravaged by a disease called idiopathic cardiomyopathy, has deteriorated to the point where he can barely walk from one room to another.4 He is too old and too sick to be a candidate for a human heart transplant; his doctors have given him only hours to live.3 But he has been offered one last, desperate, and unprecedented chance: to have his failing heart removed and replaced with a machine.7

Introducing the Jarvik-7: The Mechanical Beast

The device waiting for him was not the elegant titanium jewel from the viral photo. It was the Jarvik-7, a brute-force piece of 1980s engineering. Essentially an air-driven pump, it was cobbled together from polyurethane, aluminum, and Dacron polyester, with parts literally attached by Velcro.3 It was designed to mimic the heart’s natural rhythm, with two hollow chambers containing flexible diaphragms that pushed blood through four mechanical valves.10

This biomimicry came at a sensory cost. The Jarvik-7 was not silent. It whirred and clicked with what one report called an "eerie, mechanical rhythm," a constant reminder of the machine in his chest.12 More critically, it was powered by a massive external air compressor—variously described as the size of a dishwasher or a washing machine—that weighed nearly 400 pounds.5 Clark was permanently tethered to this console by six-foot-long hoses that passed through his chest wall, binding him to his hospital bed.11 His life had been extended, but his world had shrunk to the length of those tubes.

The 112-Day Ordeal: A "Medical Experiment in a Fishbowl"

What followed the seven-and-a-half-hour surgery was not a simple story of recovery, but a brutal 112-day ordeal played out under the white-hot glare of the world’s media.4 Every success and every setback was reported in excruciating detail, turning Clark’s private suffering into a public spectacle that one of the device’s inventors, Dr. Robert Jarvik, called a "medical experiment in a fishbowl".14

The setbacks were relentless. He battled a cascade of complications that reads like a textbook of medical calamities: severe seizures of unknown origin, respiratory problems, terrible nosebleeds caused by necessary anticoagulant drugs, and kidney failure.4 At one point, a valve on the left ventricle of the artificial heart itself broke and had to be surgically repaired.4 He floated in and out of consciousness, experiencing prolonged periods of confusion.5 In his moments of lucidity, the weight of his condition was immense; he asked doctors several times to be allowed to die.5

This agonizing experience ignited a fierce ethical firestorm. While the media initially hailed the device as a "medical miracle," critics and bioethicists began to question whether extending a life so burdened by pain, distress, and incapacity was a true victory.3 The technology to replace a human organ had seemingly outpaced the ethical frameworks needed to manage it. The 11-page consent form Clark signed was later lambasted by one bioethicist as "incomplete, internally inconsistent, and confusing," a document more notable for its length than its clarity.5 The Jarvik-7 wasn't just pumping blood; it was pumping profound, uncomfortable questions about the very definition of life and the limits of medical intervention into the public consciousness.

The Legacy of a Pioneer

On March 23, 1983, after 112 days, Barney Clark died from circulatory collapse and multiple organ system failure.4 Yet, in a testament to its raw mechanical function, the Jarvik-7 was still beating inside him.6 His death was not a failure of the pump, but a failure of the body to withstand the immense trauma of the procedure and its aftermath.4

Though his experience was fraught with suffering, Clark’s courageous act was not in vain. He had wanted his experience to help others, and it did.4 His 112-day ordeal provided the medical community with an invaluable, if brutal, trove of scientific data. It revealed the immense, unforeseen challenges—biological, mechanical, and ethical—that had to be overcome. The story of the Jarvik-7 was a paradox: it was simultaneously a stunning medical achievement and a human tragedy that would later be dubbed the "Dracula of Medical Technology".9 It was a successful failure that, by exposing the profound flaws in the first generation of artificial hearts, paved the way for every advancement that would follow.

Part II: The 620-Day Marathon Man and His "Coors Cure"

Two years after Barney Clark’s death, the spotlight turned to William Schroeder, a 52-year-old former U.S. Air Force sergeant from the small town of Jasper, Indiana.12 Described as having a "pure, smalltown, mid-America background" with a powerful family support system, Schroeder was seen as an ideal candidate to push the boundaries of what was possible.12 On November 25, 1984, he became the second person to receive the Jarvik-7 as a permanent heart.16 His journey would be a dramatic rollercoaster of unprecedented triumphs and devastating setbacks, further refining our understanding of what it truly means to live with a machine for a heart.

Moments of Triumph and Unprecedented Normalcy

In the initial days after his surgery, Schroeder became a global folk hero. His straightforward manner and iron will captured the world’s imagination. When the breathing tube was removed and his surgeon, Dr. William DeVries, asked if he wanted something to drink, Schroeder’s reply became legendary: "I'd like a beer".12 The request for what he promptly dubbed the "Coors cure" was a profound statement of life-affirming normalcy in the most abnormal of circumstances.

He radiated a defiant spirit. In a memorable phone call with President Ronald Reagan, Schroeder thanked the commander-in-chief for his well wishes before bluntly chastising him for how long it was taking to get his Social Security check.17 The check, it was reported, was delivered the very next day.

Most significantly, Schroeder achieved what Barney Clark never could: he broke free from the hospital walls. He became the first person with an artificial heart to live outside of a hospital, moving into a specially equipped apartment across the street.17 He even tested a new, portable power system—a relatively svelte 11-pound device encased in a shoulder bag—that allowed him to take a fishing trip and attend a basketball game.12 For a brief, shining moment, it seemed as though a life of relative freedom was possible. His family could place their hands on his chest and feel the steady, mechanical beat, a tangible connection to the technology that was keeping the man they loved alive.20

The Inevitable Decline: The Shadow of Stroke

Tragically, the triumphs were shadowed by a relentless decline. The very same day that his Social Security check arrived, Schroeder suffered the first of a series of debilitating strokes.16 This complication, which plagued most of the early Jarvik-7 recipients, would ultimately define his long battle.19 The strokes left him partly paralyzed, with severely impaired speech and memory.19

His 620 days were a seesaw of recovery and relapse, a valiant struggle that mixed moments of euphoria with long stretches of pain and anguish for him and his family.19 For the last seven months of his life, he lingered in a twilight, semi-conscious state, unable to speak.19 Finally, on August 7, 1986, after a massive stroke destroyed most of his brain function, William Schroeder died, having survived for a record-breaking 620 days.16

His story provided a crucial, if painful, lesson. The Jarvik-7 had proven it could sustain the body’s circulation for an incredible length of time, but it had failed to protect the brain. The primary challenge was no longer just about keeping the pump running; it was about achieving true biocompatibility and preventing the formation of blood clots that led to strokes. Schroeder’s life was extended, but the quality of that life was ultimately ravaged by the device’s side effects. His legacy is a powerful and cautionary tale about the vast gulf that can exist between extending a life and truly restoring it. This realization would shift the entire focus of artificial heart research for decades to come, from a raw quest for longevity to a more nuanced pursuit of complication-free survival.

A Legacy Etched in Stone

Today, in a cemetery in Jasper, Indiana, William Schroeder’s headstone stands as a poignant monument to his journey. It is made of black granite, carved in the shape of two overlapping hearts. One is laser-engraved with a perfect image of the Jarvik-7.16 It is a permanent tribute to the man who lived longer than anyone with an artificial heart, and to the machine that both sustained and tormented him.

Part III: A Technological Heart Transplant: From "Thump-Thump" to a Silent "Whirrr"

The four decades separating the era of Barney Clark and William Schroeder from the recent Australian patient represent more than just the passage of time. They mark a fundamental revolution in engineering philosophy. To understand the leap, think of the Jarvik-7 as a classic flip phone from the 1980s: bulky, loud, and with a single, brute-force function. The BiVACOR, by contrast, is the latest smartphone: sleek, silent, multi-functional, and driven by an entirely different operating system.

Deconstructing the Old Guard (Pulsatile Pumps)

The design philosophy behind the Jarvik-7 and its modern successor, the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart, was rooted in biomimicry. It tried to explicitly copy a natural heart’s rhythmic thump-thump.10 This required a complex system of moving parts—flexible polyurethane diaphragms, four mechanical valves that clacked open and shut—all powered by forceful blasts of compressed air.3

This very complexity, however, was its Achilles' heel. The numerous nooks, crannies, and mechanical junctions created areas where blood could stagnate, leading to the formation of deadly clots that caused strokes.11 Furthermore, the flexing membranes and clicking valves were subject to mechanical wear and tear, posing a constant risk of failure.4 It was a valiant attempt to replicate nature, but it was ultimately a clunky and imperfect imitation.

Introducing the New Guard (Rotary Pumps)

The BiVACOR TAH represents a radical departure. Its designers abandoned the goal of mimicking the heart's form and instead focused on perfecting its function with the highest possible mechanical efficiency. The result is a device that feels like it was pulled from the pages of science fiction.

At its core is a technology called magnetic levitation, or MAGLEV—the same principle used to make high-speed trains float above their tracks.22 The BiVACOR has only

one moving part: a single, dual-sided rotor with impeller blades, which is suspended in a frictionless magnetic field inside a solid titanium housing.25 As this rotor spins, it propels blood to the lungs and the body simultaneously.25 This "non-contact suspension" means there is no friction, no mechanical wear, and a vastly improved durability, with an anticipated lifespan of 10 years or more.26

The most mind-bending consequence of this elegant design is that it creates a continuous, non-pulsatile flow of blood. The patient has no heartbeat. There is no pulse. A doctor listening with a stethoscope would hear not a familiar thump-thump, but only a quiet, steady, internal "whir".21

This engineering elegance extends throughout the device. It is valveless, eliminating a major source of blood clots and failure.29 The blood flow paths are wide and smooth, designed to minimize the shear forces that can damage blood cells.25 And its compact, fist-sized titanium body is small enough to be implanted in most men, women, and even some children—a significant improvement over the bulky older models that could only fit in large adult males.22 This is not an attempt to copy a heart; it is an attempt to transcend it with superior engineering. The goal is no longer simple mimicry, but seamless bio-integration, where the device's "smart" controller can even adapt its flow rate to the patient's activity level, from rest to exercise.25

Tale of the Tickers: A Head-to-Head Comparison

To truly grasp the technological chasm between these two eras of cardiac engineering, a direct comparison is illuminating.

Part IV: The Australian Pioneer and the True Meaning of a Medical "First"

Now, let's bring the narrative full circle, back to that viral story and the anonymous Australian patient at its center. The facts are these: in late 2024, a man in his 40s suffering from severe biventricular heart failure became the sixth person in the world, and the first outside the United States, to be implanted with the BiVACOR TAH.1 He lived with the device for 105 days before receiving a successful human heart transplant in March 2025.2

While he wasn't the first to cross the 100-day mark, his case did contain a monumental and historically significant "first" of its own. In February 2025, he became the first person in the world to be discharged from the hospital while relying on a total artificial heart of this new, pulseless, rotary generation.1

A Tale of Two Patients

To understand the weight of that achievement, you need only contrast his experience with that of Barney Clark four decades earlier.

• Barney Clark (1982): Was permanently tethered to a 400-pound air compressor. He never left the hospital. His 112 days were a grueling battle against a constant stream of life-threatening medical crises.11

• The Australian Patient (2025): Lived in a nearby residence outside the hospital. He led what was described as a "relatively normal life".1 He managed his own external battery pack, which required changing every four hours, and reportedly felt well enough that he even asked his doctor if they could go for a pint sometime.1

This stark contrast is the tangible, human result of 40 years of relentless innovation, sacrifice, and genius. The milestone is not simply about surviving 100 days. It is about the quality of that survival. The Australian patient’s story is remarkable not for its duration, but for its profound, unprecedented normalcy. It demonstrates that the goalposts of success in medicine have fundamentally shifted. In 1982, the victory was keeping a man alive, period. In 2025, the victory is giving a man his life back while he waits for a new heart.

Conclusion: The Future is Pulseless (And That's a Good Thing)

The journey from Barney Clark’s noisy, tethered existence to the Australian patient’s quiet, untethered freedom is more than just a story of technological progress. It is an epic, multi-generational saga of human courage, scientific persistence, and the slow, painstaking process of turning a dream into a reality. The brutal but necessary experiments of the 1980s, with all their suffering and ethical turmoil, laid the essential groundwork for the quiet, elegant, and liberating technology of today.

The ultimate ambition for BiVACOR and devices like it is to finally achieve the holy grail of cardiac medicine: to move beyond being a temporary "bridge-to-transplant" and become a permanent "destination therapy".27 The vision is for a reliable, off-the-shelf artificial heart that can last for a decade or more, potentially eliminating the agonizing wait for a donor organ. With over 23 million people worldwide suffering from heart failure and only about 6,000 donor hearts available each year, the need is desperate and profound.30

So, the next time you see that viral post of the gleaming titanium heart, you can see it for what it truly is. You won't just see a cool piece of tech; you'll see the culmination of a 40-year story of sacrifice and innovation. You’ll see the legacy of pioneers who endured unimaginable hardship so that others might one day live. And you can smile, armed with the full, incredible story, and say, "Awesome device! But let me tell you about a dentist named Barney, a guy who wanted a beer named Bill, and why having no pulse might just be the future of the human heart."

Works cited

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This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional.