“We can reach tissues, bones and organs with high spatial precision that haven’t been reachable with light-based printing methods," one researcher explained. 

If the emergency drive is needed during treatment, it could fail to work, putting patients at risk of ischemia, hypoxia, stroke or death.

The device is intended to be a bridge for heart failure patients waiting to receive a full heart transplant.

"This practice has been adopted by multiple organ-procurement organizations and is used on thousands of organ donors each year, without ever having been rigorously studied," one researcher said. 

The technology may not be cheap, but new research published in The American Journal of Cardiology suggests the investment is well worth it. 

While TAVR and SAVR are reliable treatments for calcific aortic stenosis, some patients are not considered for those procedures due to severe comorbidities or a limited life expectancy. This is where the investigational Valvosoft device from Cardiawave enters the equation.

Medtronic acquired the technology behind the new device back in August.

Researchers focused on more than 100 patients who underwent the Ross procedure from 1994 to 2001, sharing their findings in JAMA Cardiology.