Turkey's Aselsan has been awarded the prestigious Health Technology Award for its "LIFELINE HLM" artificial heart-lung machine during the 12th Medical Documentation, Research, and Development in the Health Sector event. The company's General Manager, Ahmet Akyol, officially received the award from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a ceremony held in Istanbul, attended by the Minister of Health and an elite group of international scientists, most notably Nobel Prize laureate Professor Aziz Sancar.
Device Development Stages and Clinical Trials
The artificial heart-lung machine development project was officially completed in August, following a long series of rigorous testing and experimental phases led by TÜSEB President, Professor Ümit Kervan. These tests included laboratory blood tests in 2024, followed by animal trials in the TÜSEB-İDEA laboratories during 2025. At the beginning of June 2026, the project moved to actual clinical phases by initiating human trials at the Bilkent Hospital in Ankara Medical City, where the device has been successfully used in 60 recorded medical cases so far.
Why This News Matters
This honor reflects the strategic expansion of the company, long known for developing defense technologies, into the critical and complex medical technology sector. The importance of the "LIFELINE HLM" device lies in being an advanced national alternative in complex open-heart surgery operations, reducing reliance on imported foreign technologies for vital devices that compensate for heart and lung functions during delicate surgical procedures.
An Ongoing Journey in Life-Saving Medical Technologies
Aselsan's medical presence is not limited to the heart-lung machine alone; it draws upon a technical heritage spanning more than five decades in the defense sector, deploying it to produce life-saving devices that have proven their worth in the field during times of crisis. This medical portfolio includes prominent assisted ventilation devices that played a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as "LIFELINE BİYOVENT", in addition to the "HEARTLINE AED" automated external defibrillator and the "HEALTHVIEW ADR-M100" portable X-ray machine, thereby solidifying the role of advanced technology in supporting the local and international healthcare sector.