Intraventricular artificial hearts and methods of their surgical implantation and use
First Claim
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1. An artificial heart, heart assist, or blood pumping device adapted to propel blood therethrough by means of rotary hydrodynamic fluid pumping elements, comprising:
- (a) inflow and outflow means by which to connect said device to the vascular system,(b) blood containing housing means within which a pumping mechanism is contained,(c) minimally-hemolytic axial flow, mixed flow, or centrifugal flow rotary pump impeller means, mechanically supported and rotated by a magnetically actuated rotor,(d) minimally-hemolytic wear-resistant blood-immersed mechanical journal bearing means supporting said rotor for rotation in a configuration such that all of the exposed junctions of the rotating and stationary components of the pumping elements are washed by high enough blood flow to prevent thrombus accumulation sever enough to cause failure of the pump, and(e) power means and magnetic actuator means to provide force to rotate said rotor and impeller means thereby pumping the blood,
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Abstract
A method of treating heart failure is disclosed in which, without removing the damaged heart, implantation of prosthetic blood-pumping means within the natural heart sustains its function. The invention includes electrically-powered positive displacement pumps, muscle-powered pumps, and electrically-powered rotary hydrodynamic pumps sufficiently miniaturized and adopted to function within the heart. The invention also includes surgical connectors and surgical methods that permit intraventricular artificial hearts to be effectively applied.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An artificial heart, heart assist, or blood pumping device adapted to propel blood therethrough by means of rotary hydrodynamic fluid pumping elements, comprising:
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(a) inflow and outflow means by which to connect said device to the vascular system, (b) blood containing housing means within which a pumping mechanism is contained, (c) minimally-hemolytic axial flow, mixed flow, or centrifugal flow rotary pump impeller means, mechanically supported and rotated by a magnetically actuated rotor, (d) minimally-hemolytic wear-resistant blood-immersed mechanical journal bearing means supporting said rotor for rotation in a configuration such that all of the exposed junctions of the rotating and stationary components of the pumping elements are washed by high enough blood flow to prevent thrombus accumulation sever enough to cause failure of the pump, and (e) power means and magnetic actuator means to provide force to rotate said rotor and impeller means thereby pumping the blood, - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An artificial heart, heart assist, or blood pumping device adapted to propel blood therethrough without excessive blood damage or thrombosis by means of rotary hydrodynamic fluid pumping elements, comprising:
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(a) inflow and outflow means by which to connect said device to the vascular system, (b) blood containing housing means including a generally cylindrical tubular segment, (c) axial flow or mixed flow rotary pump impeller means adapted to pump blood with minimal hemolysis, mechanically supported and rotated by magnetically actuated rotor means, (d) said magnetically actuated rotor means structured to be immersed in blood within said generally cylindrical housing segment, and mechanically supported by radial bearing means in a configuration such that all of the exposed junctions of the rotating and stationary components of the pumping elements are washed by high enough blood flow to prevent thrombus accumulation severe enough to cause failure of the pump, (e) said rotor means and said generally cylindrical segment of said housing means having therebetween an annular generally cylindrical blood channel through which flows all or part of the blood pumped by the device and across which forces to rotate the rotor are exerted magnetically, and, (f) power means and magnetic actuator means to provide force to rotate said rotor and impeller means thereby pumping the blood. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A rotary hydrodynamic blood pump comprising:
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a blood-pumping rotor including an impeller; means to suspend the rotor for rotational motion within the bloodstream on a wire in tension that passes through a cylindrical hole in the rotor; means to magnetically rotate the rotor within the bloodstream; magnetic, mechanical or magnetic and mechanical thrust-bearing means to maintain the rotor in proper axial position on the wire, configured such that all exposed junctions of the rotation and stationary components thereof are washed by high enough blood flow to prevent thrombus accumulation severe enough to cause failure of the pump. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification