COMPACT, IMPLANTABLE APPARATUS FOR PUMPING BLOOD TO SUSTAIN BLOOD CIRCULATION IN A LIVING BODY

• US 3,860,968 A
• Filed: 11/20/1969
• Issued: 01/21/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emanuel M. Comora
• Original Assignee: Max Shapiro
• Inventors: Shapiro, Max
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frinks, Ronald L.
• Application Number:
  US05/878,341
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 3/1,DIG.2 128/1,214,DIG.3,273 417/383-390
• US Class Current: 623/3.22
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/33 Controlling, regulating or measuring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3303 Using a biosensor
• 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 60/196 replacing the entire heart, e.g. total artificial hearts [TAH]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/268 the displacement member being flexible, e.g. membranes, diaphragms or bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/435 with diastole or systole switching by valve means located between the blood pump and the hydraulic or pneumatic energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/441 generated by an electromotor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/515 Regulation using real-time patient data
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/894 Passive valves, i.e. valves actuated by the blood

Abstract

An artificial heart system for implant is disclosed in which a deflatable bladder provides a straight-through blood path. The bladder is disposed in a gas filled chamber, the volume of which is controlled by a piston in the immediate vicinity of the bladder to provide pumping action. The piston is driven by a motor. A pressure equalizing bypass as between chamber and atmospheric pressure, and a check valve provide local autoregulation for the pump. A pacemaker can be operated in synchronism with the drive to simulate, for example, the natural right heart while the natural left heart is deactivated or bypassed.

Claims

1. In an artificial heart serving as a complete heart substitute, or a bypass, or a relief, the combination comprising:

first means defining a pressure chamber filled with gas, having aligned openings repectively on opposite sides, further including a piston movable transverse to the direction of alignment of the openings, for increasing volume, and decreasing pressure, and vice versa, in the chamber;

a deformable bladder suspended in the chamber to be surrounded by the gas in the chamber and having aligned inlet and outlet tubes, respectively placed in the openings, thereby, closing the chamber as to these openings, the inlet and outlet tubes provided for respective connection to venous and/or arterial blood vessels;

second means connected to thE first means, and serving as piston chamber extension on the side of the piston opposite the side thereof facing the pressure chamber, the second means defining a second chamber filled with the same gas as the first chamber, there being duct defining means to cause communication between first and second chambers in a retracted position of the piston relative to the first chamber;

motor means supported by the second means and providing a rotary output;

third means linking the rotary output of the motor means to the piston for imparting upon the piston a reciprocating motion; and

valve means for opening and closing the flow path in the inlet and outlet tubes anticyclically and in synchronism with the pressure change in the pressure chamber and the bladder as controlled by the piston.

2. In an artifical heart as set forth in claim 1, including means for maintaining substantially constant pressure in the first chamber during piston retraction.

3. In an artifical heart as set forth in claim 1, the piston being a flat disk, there being guide posts on the piston, the first means being a housing with bores receiving the posts to inhibit tilting of the piston.

4. In an artifical heart as set forth in claim 1, there being fourth means to maintain essentially atmospheric pressure in the second chamber.

5. In an artificial heart as set forth in claim 4, the fourth means including a duct leading from the second chamber to the outer atmosphere.

6. In an artificial heart as set forth in claim 1, the means for linking, including a harmonic drive to change the relatively fast rotation of the motor means to a slow rotation commensurate with the cycle of the piston.

7. In an artificial heart as set forth in claim 1, the valve means including symmetrical shutter means operated by the piston for squeezing and dilating the tubes of the bladder.

8. In an artificial heart serving as heart substitute, bypass or relief, the combination comprising:

first means defining an enclosure and including wall portions defining a piston chamber;

a piston in the piston chamber biparting the interior of the first means to define first and second chambers respectively facing opposite sides of the piston;

the enclosure being filled with compressible gas, the enclosure having a pair of openings of the first chamber;

a deformable bladder disposed in the first chamber surrounded by the gas therein and having inlet and outlet tubes respectively passing through the openings of the pair, there being means to seal the openings at the tubes;

relief valve means disposed between the first and the second chamber to prevent the pressure in the first chamber to drop below a particular value;

means in the enclosure defining bypass means interconnecting the first and second chambers when the piston has position corresponding to maximum volume of the first chamber, the second chamber having the particular value of pressure at least during the last phase of piston retraction to said position;

means coupled to the piston for imparting reciprocating motion upon the piston; and

means for providing alternating constriction and dilation of the tubes, anticyclically to each other, and in synchronism with the piston reciprocation.

9. In an artificial heart serving as a complete heart substitute, or a bypass, or a relief, the combination comprising:

first means defining a pressure chamber filled with gas, having aligned openings respectively on opposite sides, further includng a piston movable transverse to the direction of alignment of the openings, for increasing volume, and decreasing pressure, and vice versa, in the chamber;

a deformable bladder suspended in the chamber to be surrounded by the gas in the chamber and having aligned inlet and outlet tubes, respectively placed in the openings, thereby closing the chamber as to these openings, the inlet and outlet tubes provided for respective connection to venous and/or arterial blood vessels;

second means connected to the first means, and serving as piston chamber extension on the side of the piston opposite the side thereof facing the pressure chamber, the second means defining a second chamber filled with the same gas as the first chamber;

motor means supported by the second means and providing a rotary output;

third means linking the rotary output of the motor means to the piston for imparting upon the piston a reciprocating motion;

valve means for opening and closing the flow path in the inlet and outlet tubes anticyclically and in synchronism with the pressure change in the pressure chamber and the bladder as controlled by the piston; and

means for providing flow of gas between the first and the second chamber during piston retraction corresponding to the diastole to maintain the pressure in the first chamber essentially constant.