PUMPS

• US 3,572,979 A
• Filed: 03/24/1969
• Issued: 03/30/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Morton Paul Greville
• Original Assignee: Morton Paul Greville
• Inventors: MORTON PAUL GREVILLE
• Application Number:
  US04/809,681
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• US Class Current: 623/3.21
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/117 for assisting the heart, e.g. transcutaneous or external ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/268 the displacement member being flexible, e.g. membranes, diaphragms or bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/427 the force acting on the blood contacting member being hydraulic or pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/851 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/892 Active valves, i.e. actuated by an external force
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/894 Passive valves, i.e. valves actuated by the blood
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/113 the actuating fluid being controlled by at least one valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/03 Heart-lung

Abstract

In a blood pump a fluid pressure circuit is provided which is operative to feed a variable frequency pulsating flow of water to one side of a flexible diaphragm. The other side of the flexible diaphragm is connected into a patient'"'"''"'"'s bloodstream and thus flexure of the diaphragm results in a pulsatile flow of blood on said other side of the diaphragm. The specification describes a number of devices for alternately applying suction and pressure to the water in said fluid pressure circuit and thereby to the diaphragm as well as describing one practical form of pumping head including such a diaphragm.

Claims

1. An artificial heart pump for connection into a vascular system including:

a diaphragm pump having first and second chambers separated by a flexible diaphragm, the first chamber having a first valve through which it can receive blood from the vascular system and a second valve through which it can deliver blood to the vascular system, the second chamber being connected to hydraulic fluid operated control means which causes a pulsating flow of blood through the first said chamber;

the hydraulic fluid operated control means including;

a reservoir of hydraulic fluid, a first pump for pumping fluid from the reservoir into the second chamber of the diaphragm pump to cause blood to flow from the first chamber through the said second valve and into the vascular system, and a second pump for pumping fluid from the second chamber of the diaphragm pump into the reservoir to cause blood from the vascular system to flow into the first chamber of the diaphragm pump through the said first valve a spool valve submerged in the hydraulic fluid and comprising a valve body having first, second and third ports therein and a two-land spool slidably mounted within the valve body;

means connecting the first port to the outlet from the first pump;

means connecting the second port to the inlet to the second pump;

means connecting the third port to the second chamber of the diaPhragm pump; and

means for reciprocating the two-land spool within the valve body so as to connect the second chamber of the diaphragm pump alternatively with the outlet of the first pump and the inlet of the second pump.

2. An artificial heart pump according to claim 1 in which the spool valve is disposed within the reservoir of hydraulic fluid.

3. An artificial heart pump according to claim 1 including means for adjusting the position of the valve body relative to the two-land spool to vary the times during which the second chamber of the diaphragm pump is connected with the outlet of the first pump and the inlet of the second pump.

4. An artificial heart pump according to claim 2 including means for adjusting the position of the valve body relative to the two-land spool to vary the times during which the second chamber of the diaphragm pump is connected with the outlet of the first pump and the inlet of the second pump.

5. An artificial heart pump according to claim 1 in which the diaphragm pump comprises:

an outer rigid tubular member having a port in the wall of the member adjacent one end thereof;

a flexible tubular member disposed within the outer tubular member and spaced therefrom;

an end fitting at each end of the tubular members for sealing each end of the inner tubular member to the adjacent end of the outer tubular member so that the space within the inner tubular member defines said first chamber and the space between the two tubular members defines the second chamber;

the said first valve being accommodated in that end fitting which is adjacent the port in the wall of the outer tubular member;

the said second valve being accommodated in the other end fitting; and

the means connecting the third port of the spool valve to the second chamber of the diaphragm pump including means communicating with the port in the outer tubular member.