20—The Daily Collegian Friday, December 2, 1977
PSU heart-assist pump gets national recognition
By PAM STEIN
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
A heart assist pump developed by a 20-
member research
,team of the
University rebeived national attention
Thursday when Dr. William S. Pierce
announced at the 1977 Scientific Sessions
of the American Heart Association that
it has been used successfully.
Pierce, a heart surgeon at Hershey
Medical Center, Dr. Winfred M. Phillips
and Dr. John A. Brighton of University
Park were primarily responsible for the
research and development of the device.
The pump first proved successful in
July when it was used to sustain the life
of a 39-year-old central Pennsylvania
woman when her own heart was unable
to pump blood after open-heart surgery.
The heart pump, described by Science
Information Officer Naomi Novak as a
"U-shaped bottle with balls on top,"
may eventually help save the lives of
approximately 800 open-heart surgery
patients in the United States each year.
Says position lacks direction
USG's federal lobbyist resigns
By JON SARACENO
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
Denny McEwen has resigned his
position r,s federal lobbyist for the
Undergraduate Student Government
because he said the position lacks
adequate resources, a satisfactory
amount of work and a general direction.
"The position, as I perceived it, wasn't
going anywhere and I didn't see where I
was doing anything for USG or the
students," McEwen said. He said that
rather than maintain a position which he
found unsatisfactory, he would resign to
open up the position to someone who
Camera, cash , taken from home
State College police said they are in
vestigating a burglary at the home of
Joseph Hurly, 214 W. Whitehall Rd., in
volving the loss of a 35 millimeter
camera, valued at $l5O, and $7O in cash.
Police said the burglary occurred
Wednesday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
University police are investigating the
theft of a watch reported missing Thurs
day from a locker room in Rec Hall. The
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"In the U. 5.," said Dr. Pierce, "an
estimated 800 heart surgery patients die
each year because their hearts are not
strong enough to pump blood when they
are weaned from a heart-lung machine
following surgery."
This device, according to a press
release issued Thursday, is actually a
left ventricular assist pump designed to
take over the work of the left ventricle
after heart surgery or a heart attack
accompanied by shock. The left ven
tricle, responsible for pumping blood to
the entire body with the exception of the
lungs, is the most important part of the
heart.
According to the researchers, the
device may be used for up to two weeks
without major blood damage. This
allows the patient's heart enough time to
recuperate and regain the strength
necessary to operate on its own. The
pump, Pierce said, can take over when
the heart-lung machine can no longer be
used.
wanted it
He said a heavy academic work load
and personal commitments also led to
his decision.
McEwen, former assistant director of
USG's Political Affairs Dept., was ap
pointed chief federal liason last spring
by USG President Grant Ackerman.
"Things didn't work out he way I
thought they would when I took the
position," McEwen said.
Fritz Andrews, head of USG'S
Political Affairs Dept.,said he was not
aware of McEwen's decision, but was
not surprised by it.
watch, valued at $l5O, is owned by Daniel
Malone, 2013 N. Atherton St.
A tote bag and clothing, owned by
Wayne Swanger of North Hampton, was
stolen Tuesday from a room at the
HolidaY Inn, 1450 S. Atherton St. State
College police set the loss at $lOO. , '
by Rich Ziemba
Illustration by Dave Pfeiffer
"I didn't think he was.very happy with
what he was ,doing . . . his position was
pretty worthless," Andrews said. ,He
added that there wasn't much McEwen
could do in his position, outside of
writing letters, because traveling to
Washington was too impractical.
Andrews said that a lack of corn
muniation may have resulted from
McEwen's direct responsibility to
Ackerman,, rather than direct respon
sibility to the' Political Affairs Dept.
Ackerman created the position held by
McEwen.
McEwen admitted there had been a
lack of commitment and communication
between himself and USG, but did, not
elaborate. ..
"I just wanted out," he said. "I don't
have an axe to grind, although I think
things could have been done dif
ferently."
He said because the energies of USG
were being directed toward solving the
budget crisis, he Wasn't as involved with
USG as he wanted to be.
"I lost interest and I don't want to be
involved on a day-to-day basis with
USG," McEwen said.
Ackerman could not be reached for
comment ,on McEwen's resignation.
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Phillips, an associate professor of
aerospace engineering and director of
engineering studies for the project, said
he believes that the newly-devised pump
is more simple than two other heart
assist pumps now being researched at
the Texas Heart Institutue and Boston.
Children's Hospital. , .
He said the University-developed
pump has a high potential for alleviating
blood clotting and blood damage, which
are chief complications in heart surgery.
The pump, Phillips said, is the least
complex heart assist pump yet
developed.
Other mechanisms now being im
plemented such as the heart-lung or
cardio-pulmonary by-pass machine,
perform both breathing and heart
functions during . surgery, thereby
causing red blood . cell damage. These
devices may not be used for more than a
few hours. .
The heart assist pl'imp, which is -a
Universities don't plan future
budget rallies, Ackerman says
By BRUCE BECKER
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
The state's universities are not
planning to hold, any more massive
rallies in the near future aimed at
pressuring the state's legislators into
passing appropriations for the
schools, according to Undergraduate
Student Government president Grant
Ackerman.
The Nov. 15 rally held in Harrisburg
was attended by more than 3,000
people. Ackerman said smaller lob
bying efforts will probably be pur
sued.
Students who attended the Nov. 15
rally heard speeches from Gov.
Shapp, House Majority Leader Joseph
Manderino and House Minority
Leader Robert Butera. Leaders from
four state-related universities also
Spoke.
Two days after the rally the Senate
When the rains ravaged Johnstown last summer, The
Daily Collegian went there to cover the story.
In order to responsibly cover the news important to
our readers, the Collegian needs talented students
who are willing to contribute much, time and hard
work in the pursuit of good journalism.
If you think you have talent and time to give the
Collegian, please attend one of our organizational
meetings.
-- Candidate school for reporters begins 7:30
,Sunday night in 167 Willard.
Candidate school for photographers begins 7:30
Sunday night in 126 Carnegie. Bring portfolio.
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Sunday night in 126'Carnegie.
device slightly larger than a man's fist,
lies alongside the patient and is con
nected to his heart ,by two tubes
surgically inserted through the chest
wall. One tube is attached to the bottom
/ of the left ventricle, the other to the
aorta. The tubes may be removed with
the patient under a local anesthesia.
Phillips said the device is capable of
handling a larger amount of blood per
minute than is normally pumped by a
body at rest.
According to Phillips, a major ad
vantage of the pump is its prevention of
thrombosis, -which _ was achieved by
using an extremely smooth blood con
tacting surface of segmented
polyurethane and by the use of anti
clotting drugs. . .
James Donachy, a technician at
Hershey Medical Center, was primarily
responsible for•physical construction of
the heart assist pump, Noval spid.
passed its version of a tax plan which
wouldiund the universities.
Of the four senators who changed
their minds and voted for the tax plan
after the rally, two said that the rally
was successful.
Sen. J. Doyle Corman (R-34th state
senatorial district) said that his mind
had already been made up, but that
the rally helped .to reinforce his
decision.
Sen. Thomas Nolan said that the
group was one of the best that ever
held such a rally in Harrisburg and
that the rally was successful in in
fluencing the state's legislators.
Senators Martin Murray and Quen
tin Orlando said they also changed
their minds and voted for the tax plan'
after the rally.
Matt
Hanna
to USGaenator Matt
Hanna the students made their
presence felt at the rally.
"I think we made it very apparent
The. heart assist pump is the second
important bio-engineering device
manufactured by the University. The
first development, a long-life
rechargable pacemaker, is now
manufactured and widely used.
The possibility' of commercial
manufacturing of the pump, with a!
University patent, is under con- ,
sideration.
PierCe, chief investigator for the
project, obtained grants from 'the
National Institutes of Health, the
Pennsylvania Science and Engineering
Foundation and private sources which
to aled less than $1 million.
He said that this experience,
researched for seven years, will serve as
a basis for further research relevant to..
perManently implantable heart-assist:
pumps.
Phillips stated that 3 pumps have
already been manufactured at Hershey
Medical Center at the relatively low cost
of $l,OOO each. , , •
to the legislators that students are
concerned," Hanna said.
Hanna said that it will probably
take a while for the House to pass a
tax package but warned that time is
running out since the legislature can
not pass a corporate tax increase af
ter the end of the year.
Ackerman said that he will meet
with leaders from other universities
today to discuss future plans of ac
tion. He said that since large rallies
are expensive and difficult to
organize the universities may decide
to concentrate more on lobbying with
individual legislators.
Ackerman said he would like to see
the state legislature set up a com
mittee to audit the state's books and
find waste within the state budget.
That way waste could either be
eliminated or tax increases could be
justified, Ackerman said.