The original VAD was developed by David Saucier, a heart transplant patient who worked at NASA, and surgeon Michael DeBakey.

[4] MicroMed Cardiovascular, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2013,[5] and former members of the company founded ReliantHeart Inc. in August 2013.

[7] In August 2014, ReliantHeart purchased 50% of INRTracker,[8] an online tool for patients taking Warfarin and reporting of INR.

[9] The HeartAssist5 is a modern version of the DeBakey VAD[10] and as of December 2014 was the only remotely monitored medical device in the world.

Its pump is slightly larger in diameter than a U.S. quarter or one-Euro coin and weighs only 3.2 ounces (92 grams).