Artificial heart and method of pumping blood
First Claim
1. A construction having utility as a replacement for one chamber of a human heart, comprising:
- (a) a hollow and firm cylindrical member of non-magnetic material having a length of more than one inch, with the two ends of the cylindrical member being closed, and there being an inlet port and an outlet port at each end of the cylindrical member;
(b) a check valve mounted in association with each of the ports, with one of the check valves at each end being oriented so as to admit blood to the cylindrical member in response to a low pressure therein, and the other check valve at a given end of the cylindrical member being oriented to discharge blood from the cylindrical member in response to a high pressure therein;
(c) a movable member sized to translate within the cylindrical member and being configured as a ball that is slightly smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the cylindrical member, whereby translating the ball at a substantial speed will cause blood ahead of the ball to be pushed forwardly; and
(d) means for causing the movable member to translate within the cylindrical member at a desired time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A construction having utility as a replacement for one or both chambers of a human heart, constituting a pump which operates in accordance with solenoid principles. A hollow and firm cylindrical member of non-magnetic material has an inlet port and an outlet port at each end. A check valve is associated with each of the ports, so that blood may be both admitted and expelled from each end of the cylinder. A ball which is responsive to a magnetic field rolls or floats within the cylinder. A magnetic field, typically obtained from passing current through an electrical coil, is alternately established at one end of the cylinder and then the other end, whereby the ball will oscillate to and fro--pushing blood ahead of it. Clearance between the ball and the inside wall of the cylinder insures at least some reverse flow of blood, cleaning the ball with each stroke. Electrical circuitry is provided to adjust at least one of the electrical pulse parameters, including frequency, amplitude and duty cycle. With reed-actuated switches, the pump actuation can be varied at will or "fine tuned" after it has been implanted in a chest cavity.
51 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A construction having utility as a replacement for one chamber of a human heart, comprising:
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(a) a hollow and firm cylindrical member of non-magnetic material having a length of more than one inch, with the two ends of the cylindrical member being closed, and there being an inlet port and an outlet port at each end of the cylindrical member; (b) a check valve mounted in association with each of the ports, with one of the check valves at each end being oriented so as to admit blood to the cylindrical member in response to a low pressure therein, and the other check valve at a given end of the cylindrical member being oriented to discharge blood from the cylindrical member in response to a high pressure therein; (c) a movable member sized to translate within the cylindrical member and being configured as a ball that is slightly smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the cylindrical member, whereby translating the ball at a substantial speed will cause blood ahead of the ball to be pushed forwardly; and (d) means for causing the movable member to translate within the cylindrical member at a desired time. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. Apparatus adapted for use in a prosthetic heart, comprising:
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(a) a firm and cylindrical chamber formed of non-magnetic material, and the chamber being adapted for replacing the atrium and ventricle functions of a portion of a human heart, with said chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port at each end; (b) a check valve in each of said inlet and outlet ports in said chamber; and (c) a ball movable within the cylindrical chamber for causing blood to be pumped through respective ones of the inlet and outlet ports; and (d) a set of structural members mounted within the cylindrical chamber and being adapted for holding a ball away from the interior wall of the chamber as the ball rolls within said chamber. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. Apparatus adapted for use in a prosthetic heart, comprising:
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(a) a rigid and cylindrical chamber adapted for replacing the atrium and ventricle functions of a portion of a human heart, and said chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port at each end, and there being a check valve in each of said inlet and outlet ports, and there also being electric coils adjacent each end of the cylinder for creating a magnetic field when current flows therethrough; (b) a free-floating ball contained within the cylinder, with said ball having characteristics such that it is attracted by the magnetic field resulting from current flowing through the electrical coils, and the outside diameter of a ball being significantly less than the inside diameter of the cylinder so as to foster at least some reverse flow of blood around the ball in order to promote cleaning and clearing of the cylinder and the ball; and (c) electrical means for passing current alternately through the electric coils so as to cause the ball to oscillate between the two ends of the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A prosthetic heart adapted to accomplish the functions of a natural heart, comprising:
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(a) first and second rigid and cylindrical chambers for replacing the atrium and ventricle functions in a human heart, and each of said chambers having two spaced inlet ports and two spaced outlet ports, with one of each type of port being on each end of a respective chamber, and there being a check valve in each of said inlet and outlet ports, and there also being a pair of side-by-side coils surrounding each cylinder, with each coil being configured to create a wide magnetic field when current flows therethrough, with one of the chambers being adapted to pump blood to the body circuit and the other chamber being adapted to pump blood to the lung circuit, and each chamber being adapted to receive blood from the opposite circuit through its respective inlet ports; (b) a free-floating ball contained within each of the two cylinders, with each ball having physical properties such that it is attracted by the magnetic field resulting from current flowing through the electrical coils surrounding the cylinders, and the outside diameter of a ball being sufficiently less than the inside diameter of its associated cylinder so as to foster some reverse flow of blood in order to promote cleaning and clearing of the cylinder and the ball; (c) electrical circuitry for alternately energizing first one and then the other of a pair of coils on each chamber, such that a ball will be alternately attracted toward one end and then the other end of a given cylinder, whereby blood ahead of a moving ball will be displaced; and (d) means for energizing said electrical circuitry. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. The method of pumping blood, comprising the step of:
moving a ball through a cylindrical tube containing blood, with the outer diameter of the ball being slightly less than the inner diameter of the cylindrical tube, and the speed of movement of the ball being sufficient to push at least most of the blood ahead of the ball instead of allowing any great quantity of blood to escape around the ball. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
Specification