Türkiye has successfully developed its first domestically-produced heart-lung machine, a critical tool used in open-heart surgeries. The project was completed through a collaboration between the Health Ministry and defense electronics company ASELSAN, officials announced this week.
At a press briefing, Ümit Kervan, head of the Türkiye Health Institutes (TÜSEB), said the project began in 2020. “We reached an agreement with ASELSAN to develop the heart-lung machine. Their engineers visited our operating rooms, observed how open-heart surgeries are performed, and started designing the machine,” he said.
The device went through a series of pre-clinical laboratory tests at Bilkent City Hospital. According to TÜSEB, the blood tests produced successful results.
“Our machine performed better than existing models in comparison tests,” Kervan stated. He added that ASELSAN’s design received three innovation awards before undergoing animal trials. One key feature is its manual operation function, which allows it to continue working during power or battery failures — a vital capability in life-threatening situations.
Each year, around 80,000 open-heart surgeries are performed in Türkiye. Kervan stressed the importance of the machine, saying that 95 percent of these surgeries would not be possible without it.
The team aims to introduce the device into clinical use by 2026. Kervan noted that the heart-lung machine represents a global market value of $3 billion.
