One of the challenges faced by artificial heart investigators was developing an energy system suitable for implantation. The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) jointly funded research work experimenting with nuclear power systems. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, a nuclear power system, using plutonium-238, appeared to be the most promising means of developing a totally implantable unit. Superior to the alternative battery source, the nuclear-powered heart provided a longer-term, more reliable source of energy, was self-functioning, and did not need recharging......
...the advisory group explored the societal implications of a clinically accepted nuclear-powered artificial heart. They pointed out the ‘hidden dangers’ of the plutonium heart specifically and of the artificial heart research program generally. Wasn’t the nuclear-powered heart a health hazard to the recipient, to his friends and family, and to the public generally because of its emission of radiation? What if a less-than-perfect device extended life with decreased (even questionable) quality – would such a device be denied patients? It will be argued that the continued support for development of an artificial heart, albeit redirected, reflected American values and attitudes regarding the utilization of machines and devices to fight disease, endorsing the technological imperative of twentieth century medicine.