ASELSAN's LIFELINE HLM Heart-Lung Machine, which transfers the company's engineering expertise from the defence industry to health technologies, has successfully performed its first clinical surgery. Developed entirely with domestic and national capabilities in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and ASELSAN, the device safely and uninterruptedly assumed the patient's circulatory and oxygenation functions throughout the operation, enabling the successful completion of the procedure.
"An Engineering Marvel, Beating in Place of a Heart for the First Time"
Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, President of the Defence Industry Agency, described LIFELINE HLM as "an engineering marvel" in a statement following the surgery. "Being able to produce this critical device, which we have procured from abroad for years, with our own capabilities is a valuable achievement for our technological independence," said Görgün, emphasising that it is a particular source of pride that the national engineering expertise extending from defence to health directly touches lives.
Görgün stated that generating value from defence sector capabilities in strategic civilian sectors, particularly health, is among the Defence Industry Agency's priority objectives. He noted that the device, which is aimed to be deployed across different hospitals in the coming period, will add value to health technologies for years to come.
Technical Specifications of LIFELINE HLM
According to technical documentation shared by ASELSAN, LIFELINE HLM assumes heart and lung functions during the most critical moments of open-heart surgery, removing carbon dioxide, enriching blood with oxygen and returning it to the body at the ideal temperature. Thanks to its modular pump system and oxygenator, it can be used on both adult and paediatric patients.
The device features an internal battery providing up to 2 hours of continuous operation and offers centralised control and monitoring via a touchscreen panel PC. LIFELINE HLM, equipped with an advanced data management system for recording, analysis and archiving, also provides an adjustable FiO₂ ratio through a gas-air mixer. LED-illuminated field support further enhances operating theatre comfort.
On the pump units side, three different pump units are available: large rollers, small rollers and centrifugal. Two automatic clamp units offer controlled flow interruption, while pulsatile flow mode enables simulation of pulsatile blood flow and cardioplegia mode allows full management from the main screen. Four time modules, CO₂ monitoring via a capnograph sensor and electronic airflow with oxygen percentage data are also among the system's timing and monitoring functions.
The sensor infrastructure comprises support for 6 temperature channels, 4 pressure channels (monitoring and regulation), 2 bubble detectors, 2 flow-bubble detectors and 2 level sensors. All sensors are automatically recognised while the system is running and can be activated via the interface. The device also features a patented tubing holder mechanism, flow sensor with pump auto-calibration, a fully integrated surgical checklist and an advanced sensor feedback system.
Engineering from Defence to Health
The heart-lung machine incorporates advanced engineering components, including high-precision sensors, pump systems and oxygenators. ASELSAN's adaptation of its decades of engineering expertise in radar, avionics and electronic warfare systems to such a medical device represents a notable example of transferring competencies gained in Türkiye's defence industry to civilian applications.
The Ministry of Health stated: "Today is a proud day for us. It is one of the milestones in the Turkish health industry," and congratulated all engineers, physicians and healthcare workers who contributed to this historic operation.
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