One might think that the list of companies playing a leading role in the development and manufacture of artificial hearts would be limited to major suppliers of medical equipment.
Yet one small firm staffed by only nine employees in Ota Ward, Tokyo, has provided significant input in this sector.
Yasuhisa Koki Biomechanics Co. has been supplying prototypes or samples of artificial hearts, including ventricular assist devices and blood circulation simulators, to more than 20 medical institutions and medical-instrument developers nationwide.