I can remember when the first artificial heart was implanted in a human back in December of 1982. It happened at the University of Utah Medical Center. The photo above is of a prototype that became the Jarvik-7 Total Artificial Heart. Note that the two sides of the heart are connected with Velcro. Here is an explanation of the heart from Wikipedia:
An artificial heart is a device that replaces the heart. Artificial hearts are typically used to bridge the time to heart transplantation, or to permanently replace the heart in case heart transplantation is impossible. Although other similar inventions preceded it from the late 1940s, the first artificial heart to be successfully implanted in a human was the Jarvik-7 in 1982, designed by a team including Willem Johan Kolff and Robert Jarvik.
An artificial heart is distinct from a ventricular assist device (VAD) designed to support a failing heart. It is also distinct from a cardiopulmonary bypass machine, which is an external device used to provide the functions of both the heart and lungs and are used only for a few hours at a time, most commonly during cardiac surgery.
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