TUCSON, Ariz., May 2, 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 its Freedom portable driver, the world's first wearable power supply for the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart, was named the 2013 Silver Winner amongst Assistive Devices in the Science/Medical category of the Edison Awards on April 25 in Chicago.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130502/LA06150)

"The awards demonstrate the incredible range and pace of innovation globally and across a wide variety of industries," said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of the Edison Awards. "It is important that such excellence in innovation be widely recognized and done so in the spirit of the world's greatest inventor."

Weighing 13.5 pounds, the Freedom portable driver allows stable Total Artificial Heart patients who meet discharge criteria to wait for a matching donor heart at home and in their communities instead of in the hospital. To date, the Freedom portable driver has supported 130 patients worldwide, accounting for more than 55 patient years of support.

The Edison Awards have been recognizing and honoring the best in innovations and innovators since 1987. The awards honor game-changing innovations that are at the forefront of new product and service development, marketing and human-centered design, and are one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of successful innovation.

Winners were judged by a panel of more than 3,000 peers, including business executives, past winners, academics and leaders in the fields of product development, design, engineering, science and medicine. Sponsors of the 2013 Edison Awards included Nielsen, Discovery Communications, McAndrews Held & Malloy, Science Channel and USA Today.

The Freedom portable driver is CE approved for use in Europe and undergoing an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study in the U.S.

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

About the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial HeartSynCardia 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.

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SynCardia's Freedom® Portable Driver Selected as Silver Winner at Edison Awards