'Artificial muscle' could help thousands of sufferers of debilitating heart rhythm disorder

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An artificial muscle that could offer hope to sufferers of a common heart problem has been developed by scientists.

The implant, called the Atripump, fits on the outside of the heart and applies pressure to keep it beating at the right rate.

It could treat atrial fibrillation, a debilitating heart rhythm disorder.

Around 500,000 Britons suffer from the condition, including Tony Blair.

It occurs when the upper chambers of the heart are out of sync – resulting in a dangerously fast heart beat.

Although not fatal, it can cause fainting, heart failure and blood clots, increasing the risk of stroke.

Common atrial fibrillation treatments include drugs, surgery, electrotherapy or a pacemaker.

Dr Piergiorgio Tozzi, a cardiac surgeon at Vaudois University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland, said he developed the Atripump for patients who do not respond well to existing treatments.

The device is made of a domed membrane embedded with wires made from nitinol, a metal alloy used in spectacle frames and internal tubes.

The wires shrink when a small current passes through them, causing the dome to contract, New Scientist magazine reports today.

When the current is off, the wires relax and the dome expands. The two-inch wide device is powered by an internal battery that can be topped up outside the body.

Dr Tozzi said the swelling and contraction of the dome could stop the heart from beating too fast. Although several years from being tested on people, experts believe the Atripump offers hope to patients.

However, the British Heart Foundation has questioned whether the device would be any more effective than a pacemaker.