Abstract: An artificial heart comprising at least one blood circulating pump having a transparent housing divided into two chambers by a diaphragm. One of the chambers is a hydraulic chamber having an inlet valve and an outlet valve which are connected to the circulatory system; the other chamber is a pneumatic chamber provided with a nipple for the intake and discharge of gas. The pump's pneumatic chamber has a transparent conductive coating, for example, of gold, applied onto the internal wall of said pneumatic chamber. Said coating and the surface of the blood circulating in the hydraulic chamber make up a capacitor whose capacity varies due to changes in the volume of the hydraulic chamber. Said capacitor serves as a blood volume transducer. The artificial heart includes a system for controlling the supply of gas to and the discharge of gas from the pneumatic chamber of said pump. The control system comprises an element which is sensitive to variations in the blood volume. Said sensitive element is an RC bridge.

Abstract: The extracorporeal circulation apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises a plurality of pneumatic diaphragm pumps incorporated in parallel relationship in a single fluid-flow system of extracorporeal blood perfusion.The electronic control system of the arrangement which processes the EKG signals is provided with a control signal distributor for sequential pump actuation such that the priming time of each pump is prolonged, frothing and haemolysis of the blood is prevented, and the stroke volume of the apparatus is maintained at a predetermined level.