Auxiliary artificial heart of the embedded-in-body type

• US 5,275,580 A
• Filed: 06/19/1992
• Issued: 01/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenji Yamazaki, Sun Medical Technology Research Corporation (Misuzu & Sun Medical Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kenji Yamazaki, Sun Medical Technology Research Corporation (Misuzu & Sun Medical Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Randall L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLSE, DAVID H
• Application Number:
  US07/901,826
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 623/3, 600/16-17, 600/18, 415/900
• US Class Current: 600/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/15 Detection of leaks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/33 Controlling, regulating or measuring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3303 Using a biosensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8243 by induction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/005 Parameter used as control input for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/30 Blood pressure A61M2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/50 Temperature
• 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 60/174 discharging the blood to the ventricle or arterial system via a cannula internal to the ventricle or arterial system
• 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 60/237 the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/416 transmitted directly by the motor rotor drive shaft
• 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 60/531 using blood pressure data, e.g. from blood pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/538 Regulation using real-time blood pump operational parameter data, e.g. motor current
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/585 User interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/816 Sensors arranged on or in the housing, e.g. ultrasound flow sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/825 : Contact bearings, e.g. ball-and-cup or pivot bearings
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/865 : Devices for guiding or inserting pumps or pumping devices into the patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/873 : specially adapted for wireless or transcutaneous energy transfer [TET], e.g. inductive charging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/876 : Implantable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/878 : Electrical connections within the patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/896 : having flexible or resilient parts, e.g. flap valves

Abstract

An auxiliary artificial heart embedded in the human body. The auxiliary artificial heart has an apex cordis area ring and a body. The apex cordis area ring is embedded in a cut-out apex cordis area of the human heart. The body includes an elongated pump section and a drive section. The pump section is inserted into one of the ventricles of the human heart, passing through the apex cordis area ring. A front end nozzle whose diameter is smaller than that of the pump section is formed at the front end of the pump section, and it is inserted into the aorta or pulmonary artery, passing through the center of the aorta or pulmonary valve. The pump section sucks blood in the ventricle through its base portion and feeds it into the aorta or pulmonary artery through the front end nozzle.

Claims

1. An auxiliary artificial heart of the embedded-in-body type structured to be embedded in one of the ventricles of the heart of a human body comprising:

a) an apex cordis area ring structured to be fixedly embedded in a cutout portion of the apex cordis area of the human heart;

b) an artificial heart body including a pump section, a drive section for driving the pump section, and a nozzle;

said pump section including a cylindrical pump of the axial-flow type having a base portion and a front end, driven by the drive section to suck blood through the base portion of the pump section and discharge it through the front end thereof, and said pump section being structured to be inserted into one of the ventricles, passing through the apex cordis area ring, said pump section defining a volume smaller than that of the ventricle in the human heart obtained when it naturally shrinks to the greatest extent; and

said pump section having a casing, and said nozzle being formed of a flexible material differing from that of said casing, said drive section being structured to be arranged outside the human heart;

said nozzle being provided at the front end of the pump section and structured to be inserted through the aortic valve of the human heart and into the aorta, whereby the blood in the ventricle is fed into the aorta through the nozzle at the front end of the pump by means of the pump section.

2. The auxiliary artificial heart of the embedded-in-body type according to claim 1, wherein said front end nozzle has a non-return valve for preventing blood from returning to the pump section through the nozzle.

3. The auxiliary artificial heart of the embedded-in-body type according to claim 1, wherein said pump section includes a pump of the screw type.

4. The auxiliary artificial heart of the embedded-in-body type according to claim 1, wherein said front end nozzle is tilted relative to the pump section so as to match an angle which is formed by the axial direction of that ventricle of the human heart in which the artificial heart is embedded and the axial direction of the aorta.

5. The auxiliary artificial heart of the embedded-in-body type according to claim 1, including a control means, said drive section being connected to said control means, said control means being operable to control the operation of the drive section, depending upon the state of the heart in the human body.

6. The auxiliary artificial heart of the embedded-in-body type according to claim 5, wherein said control means is housed in the drive section.