BUINOES AIRES- An artificial heart for people suffering life-threatening heart disease has proved to work in initial tests with animals, press reports said Friday.

****La Nacion****daily reported that an artificial heart-pump was used Thursday on a calf at the Favaloro Foundation, which specializes in heart disease.

The artificial heart "was able to maintain for five hours the arterial pressure and blood flow of the animal without experiencing problems or forming clots" said heart surgeon Roberto Favaloro, head of the foundation.

Scientists with the Favaloro Foundation and hydraulic engineering experts from the Pescarmona metallurgy firm have been developing the artificial heart since 1997. If further animal tests are successful it could be tried out on humans in two years, the report said.