A vital lifeline to patients facing end-stage biventricular heart failure.
For millions of people worldwide, cardiac health is something taken for granted—a steady, rhythmic beat keeping life in motion. But for patients diagnosed with advanced biventricular heart failure, that rhythm slows to a dangerous point. When both the left and right ventricles can no longer pump enough blood to sustain vital organs, the threat of imminent death becomes an immediate reality.
In these critical moments, modern medical technology steps in with a groundbreaking solution: the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart (STAH)
Beyond Partial Support
When heart failure affects only one side of the heart—most commonly the left—doctors often rely on partial-support devices like Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) to assist the failing chamber. However, when end-stage heart failure devastates both sides of the organ, partial-support measures are simply not enough.
The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart takes a fundamentally different, definitive approach. Surgeons remove the patient’s damaged left and right ventricles, along with the four native heart valves. Then the STAH is attached directly to the remaining upper chambers (atria) and major arteries, taking over the job of pumping oxygen-rich blood throughout the entire body. By instantly restoring full cardiac output, vital organs like the kidneys, liver, and brain receive the necessary blood flow to recover from severe failure.
Powered by pneumatic technology, the FDA approved SynCardia Total Artificial Heart uses an external Freedom Driver® that delivers regulated air pulses to propel blood through synthetic mechanical valves, accurately replicating the natural heartbeat.
A Lifesaving Bridge to Transplant
While the ultimate goal for patients with end-stage biventricular failure remains a biological heart transplant, organ donor shortages mean wait times can stretch into months or even years. Without intervention, many transplant-eligible patients would not survive the wait.
The SynCardia TAH serves as a clinically proven bridge to transplant. By stepping in to handle the heavy lifting, the device stabilizes critically ill patients, allowing them to rebuild physical strength, regain organ function, and safely wait for a matching donor heart to become available.
Portable driver technology has even made it possible for many patients to leave the hospital and return home while awaiting a transplant, restoring a level of freedom and quality of life that previously seemed out of reach.
Emperor: The Next Generation Total Artificial Heart
In March 2024, SynCardia was granted its first patent covering the Emperor next-generation fully implantable total artificial heart. With this new innovation, the Emperor TAH operates without the need for an external pump and is designed to provide even greater freedom for the patient.
Just over 18 months later, the Tucson engineering and clinical team completed the first in vivo implantations of the Emperor in three preclinical models, each providing full and stable blood circulation with no technical issues — a remarkable velocity for a Class III cardiac device program.
In 2026, the Emperor platform now carries 34 allowed and issued U.S. patent claims with protection extending into China.
Meanwhile, SynCardia’s commercially approved device continued to set global benchmarks: in December 2025, a patient surpassed 2,900 days of continuous support, the longest ever recorded on an artificial heart, and in April 2026 Banner Health announced more than 50 SynCardia implantations — more than any center worldwide since 2022. All from Tucson, Arizona.
Fueling the Future from Tucson
Picard Medical cemented its financial foundation in September 2025 by completing a successful initial public offering on the NYSE American under the ticker PMI. This landmark IPO propelled the Tucson MedTech manufacturer onto the national capital markets stage, providing the growth capital needed to accelerate production and clinical development.
From world-record patient outcomes to cutting-edge IP development, Picard Medical and SynCardia Systems are proving that cardiac technology engineered in Arizona is redefining what is possible for severe heart failure patients around the globe—saving lives, one heart at a time.
SynCardia Systems LLC will be honored with an AZBio Fast Lane Award on Oct. 7, 2026 at the Phoenix Convention Center at the 23rd annual AZBio Awards.