Sensor mounting in an implantable blood pump

• US 10,485,911 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TC1 LLC (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: TC1 LLC (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: McChrystal, Mark, Stark, III, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J
• Application Number:
  US15/408,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20170119946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3365 Rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/148 in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/178 drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/216 including a rotating member acting on the blood, e.g. impeller
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/419 the force acting on the blood contacting member being permanent magnetic, e.g. from a rotating magnetic coupling between driving and driven magnets
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/422 the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/515 Regulation using real-time patient data
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/538 Regulation using real-time blood pump operational parameter data, e.g. motor current
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/824 Hydrodynamic or fluid film bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/064 Details of the magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0077 Safety measures F04D15/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/003 for measuring position, not involving coordinate determination coordinate measuring G01B7/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/30 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/142 using Hall-effect devices measuring magnetic variables using Hall-effect or other galvanomagnetic devices G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/072 Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/119 Details of rigid insulating substrates therefor, e.g. three-dimensional details H05K1/117 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 : characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/052 : Branched
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 : Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/30 : Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/303 : Surface mounted components, e.g. affixing before soldering, aligning means, spacing means H05K3/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/32 : electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4691 : Rigid-flexible multilayer circuits comprising rigid and flexible layers, e.g. having in the bending regions only flexible layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 : Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 : Assembling formed circuit to base

Abstract

Techniques for mounting a sensor are disclosed. In some implementations, a molded interconnect device carries a sensor for transducing a position of a rotor of the implantable blood pump. The molded interconnect device includes one or more integrated electronic circuit traces configured to electrically connect the Hall sensor with a printed circuit board of the implantable blood pump, and the molded interconnect device is configured to be mounted to the printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

mounting sensors to a circuit board to form a sensor assembly;

installing a mechanical carrier in a motor assembly, the mechanical carrier defining a predetermined alignment of the sensors with respect to the motor assembly;

after installing the mechanical carrier in the motor assembly, placing the circuit board of the sensor assembly in the mechanical carrier; and

positioning the sensors in the mechanical carrier such that the sensors are arranged in the predetermined alignment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein mounting the sensors to the circuit board comprises mounting the sensors to extensions of the circuit board, wherein the extensions extend to end regions having electrical interconnects disposed at the end regions, the extensions being more flexible than the end regions electrically connecting the sensors to the electrical interconnects.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein positioning the sensors in the mechanical carrier in the predetermined alignment comprises flexing the extensions of the circuit board such that the sensors are positioned in the predetermined alignment within a predetermined tolerance.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein flexing the extensions comprises flexing the extensions to a greater degree than the end regions having the electrical interconnects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the sensors in the mechanical carrier in the predetermined alignment comprises positioning the sensors axi-symmetrically.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the sensors in the mechanical carrier in the predetermined alignment comprises positioning the sensors in the mechanical carrier such that the sensors are located to detect one or more motor parameters of an implantable blood pump.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the sensors in the mechanical carrier in the predetermined alignment comprises placing the sensors in the mechanical carrier such that a guide member affixed to each sensor is received in a corresponding slot defined by the mechanical carrier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising affixing a guide member to each of the sensors.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after positioning the sensors in the mechanical carrier in the predetermined alignment, removing a portion of the circuit board that extends inward beyond the sensors.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein removing a portion of the circuit board comprises breaking off a portion of an end region along a perforated or scored line across the end region.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the extensions extend radially inward from an outer region of the circuit board, wherein the outer region is generally circular.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the circuit board comprises an opening with an outer region of the circuit board defining a closed boundary around the opening, and wherein the extensions extend radially inward from the outer region.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting magnetic fields indicative of parameters of a motor of an implantable blood pump.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the parameters are indicative of a position of a rotor of the implantable blood pump.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the parameters are indicative of an angular position or angular velocity of a rotor of the implantable blood pump.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a voltage outputted by the sensors, when the voltage is directly proportional to a strength of a magnetic field that is located in proximity to pole pieces of a motor stator and a rotor of an implantable blood pump.

17. A method comprising:

mounting sensors to a circuit board to form a sensor assembly;

installing a mechanical carrier in a motor assembly, the mechanical carrier defining a predetermined alignment of the sensors with respect to the motor assembly;

placing the circuit board of the sensor assembly in the mechanical carrier;

positioning the sensors in the mechanical carrier such that the sensors are arranged in the predetermined alignment; and

after positioning the sensors in the mechanical carrier in the predetermined alignment, removing a portion of the circuit board that extends inward beyond the sensors.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein removing a portion of the circuit board comprises breaking off a portion of an end region along a perforated or scored line across the end region.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein mounting the sensors to the circuit board comprises mounting the sensors to extensions of the circuit board, wherein the extensions extend to end regions having electrical interconnects disposed at the end regions, the extensions being more flexible than the end regions electrically connecting the sensors to the electrical interconnects.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein positioning the sensors in the mechanical carrier in the predetermined alignment comprises positioning the sensors axi-symmetrically.