Glasgow Science Centre Features SynCardia Total Artificial Heart in $3 Million Exhibition

115 Interactive Exhibits, Research Capsules and Live Laboratory Experiences

Explore the Science of Health and Wellbeing in the 21st Century

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May 23, 2013, 06:45 ET

TUCSON, Ariz., May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SynCardia Systems, Inc. (www.syncardia.com), manufacturer of the world's first and only FDA, Health Canada and CE (Europe) approved Total Artificial Heart, announced today that the Glasgow Science Centre in Scotland, which boasts more than 380,000 visitors annually, is featuring the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart powered by the Freedom® portable driver as part of its $3 million Bodyworks Exhibition, one of the most advanced exhibitions of its kind.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130523/LA19649)

"BodyWorks combines the latest technology with an excellent approach to story-telling to define and explain that most complex of entities, the human body," said Dr. Stephen Breslin, chief executive of Glasgow Science Centre.

The "Heart Pod" featuring the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart powered by the Freedom portable driver is one of 115 interactive exhibits, research capsules and live laboratory experiences that explore the science of health and wellbeing in the 21st Century. In order to demonstrate the innovative engineering behind this life-saving technology, the museum fabricated a full-size, semi-transparent human torso, which includes the skeletal system and internal organs.

Other exhibits for adults and children include:

A virtual autopsy table, the only one of its kind in the United Kingdom
A giant "hamster wheel" which measures stamina
A "DNA disco" that explains genetic science in an entertaining way
Plastinated human tissue samples that explain the make-up of the body

The Centre, which is the biggest of its kind outside London, is an award-winning, independent educational charity. Last year, more than 477,000 people experienced the museum's exhibits, with more than 388,892 admissions to the Centre itself, and another 88,141 people reached via programming brought directly to local schools and communities.

CAUTION – The Freedom portable driver is an investigational device, limited by United States law to investigational use.

About the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart
SynCardia Systems, Inc. (Tucson, AZ) is the privately-held manufacturer of the world's first and only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial Heart. Originally used as a permanent replacement heart, the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to transplant for people suffering from end-stage heart failure affecting both sides of the heart (biventricular failure). There have been more than 1,100 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, accounting for more than 300 patient years of life.

Similar to a heart transplant, the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart replaces both failing heart ventricles and the four heart valves, eliminating the symptoms and source of end-stage biventricular failure. Unlike a donor heart, the Total Artificial Heart is immediately available at SynCardia Certified Centers. It is the only device that provides immediate, safe blood flow of up to 9.5 liters per minute through each ventricle. This high volume of safe blood flow helps speed the recovery of vital organs, helping make the patient a better transplant candidate.

Forbes Ranks SynCardia #69 Among "America's Most Promising Companies"
In its February 2013 issue, Forbes selected SynCardia as one of "America's Most Promising Companies" for the second consecutive year. On the list of 100 privately held, high-growth companies with bright futures, SynCardia was selected #69, moving up eight spots from its #77 ranking last year. See the full list of SynCardia Awards & Recognition here.

For additional information, please visit: http://www.syncardia.com
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SOURCE SynCardia Systems, Inc.