What purpose do artificial hearts serve?

Artificial hearts are primarily designed to temporarily pump blood when the heart is not functioning properly. They may be used in patients who are awaiting a heart transplant or when other treatments have failed. These devices help maintain blood circulation, ensuring that vital organs receive the oxygen and nutrients they need, thus temporarily compensating for the heart's inability to perform its role effectively.

In contrast, while artificial hearts can sometimes be seen as a long-term solution, their primary function is not to permanently replace the heart after failure but to provide a stop-gap measure until a more permanent solution, such as a transplant, can be executed. They certainly do not assist in blood clotting or aid in digestion; those functions are unrelated to the mechanical circulation of blood provided by an artificial heart.