Results of artificial heart tests promising

A company backed by European aerospace giant EADS and one of France's leading cardiac surgeons aims to create an implantable artificial heart it says could help hundreds of thousands of patients.

Carmat SA, financed by venture capital firm Truffle Capital, France's state innovation agency OSEO, and EADS, said on Monday that preliminary animal trials and laboratory tests of the device had produced promising results.

"At present, Carmat's prototype artificial heart has been patented and is undergoing preclinical testing," the company said in a statement.