In a world, Oct. 28 -- first preclinical study, Australian researchers have shown it could be possible to implant a potentially life-saving pump into the heart of those with heart failure, without leaving the ICU or breaking isolation restrictions for the sickest COVID-19 patients.

With up to 40 percent of COVID-19 deaths attributed to heart failure, the work shows immense promise and the researchers are eager to see it progress to human studies.

The study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, details a method of implanting the assistive pump into the main heart chamber guided by three-dimensional wide-angle intracardiac ultrasound - used for the first time in Australia as part of the study.

It was made possible by the state-of-the-...