Biventricular pulsatile cardiac support system having a mechanically balanced stroke volume

• US 5,743,845 A
• Filed: 01/12/1995
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas M. Runge
• Original Assignee: Thomas M. Runge
• Inventors: Runge, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US08/371,964
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 600/16, 600/17, 600/18
• US Class Current: 600/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/117 for assisting the heart, e.g. transcutaneous or external ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/284 Linear peristaltic pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/438 the force acting on the blood contacting member being mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/562 for making blood flow pulsatile in blood pumps that do not intrinsically create pulsatile flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/853 the valve being formed by a flexible tube element which is clamped for restricting the flow
• 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

Abstract

A biventricular pulsatile cardiac support system having a mechanically balanced stroke volume wherein a pair of side-by-side, valveless, compressible conduits extend through the compression chamber of a pulsatile flow cardiopulmonary bypass pump and a passive exterior valve positioned at the inlet and the outlet of the pump. The inlets of the conduits communicate with the right and left atria of the patient'"'"'s heart and the outlets of the conduits communicate with the pulmonary artery and aorta so that the volume of blood passing from the right atrium, through the right ventricle, to the pulmonary artery, is substantially balanced with the volume of blood passing from the left atrium through the left ventricle to the aorta. The support system can be operated in single or biventricular support mode and in partial or total cardiopulmonary bypass mode, omitting the oxygenator used in conventional cardiopulmonary bypass, and in so doing, rely on the patient'"'"'s own lungs rather than artificial oxygenator. This variant of cardiopulmonary support for cardiac surgery should reduce cost and complications associated with conventional cardiopulmonary bypass.

Claims

1. A biventricular pulsatile cardiac support system having a mechanically balanced stroke volume comprising, a pulsatile flow cardiopulmonary bypass pump having a compression chamber intermediate the inlet and outlet of said pump, said compression chamber including a movable compression plate and a fixed plate, a pair of side-by-side, externally valved, compressible conduits extending through said compression chamber and under said compression plate, each conduit having an inlet and an outlet, a passive exterior valve positioned at the pump inlet and outlet, said pair of side-by-side conduits extending through said valves, the portions of said compressible conduits extending between the inlet and outlet valves forming sacks, the valve at the pump inlet being positioned downstream from the inlets of said conduits, the valve at the pump outlet being positioned upstream from the outlets of said conduits, a first tube having one end connected to the inlet of one of said conduits and an opposite end adapted to be connected to the right atrium of a patient'"'"'s heart, a second tube having one end connected to the outlet of said one conduit and an opposite end adapted to be connected to the pulmonary artery of said patient, a third tube having one end connected to the inlet of the other of said conduits and an opposite end adapted to be connected to the left ventricle of the patient'"'"'s heart, and a fourth tube having one end connected to the outlet of said other conduit and an opposite end adapted to be connected to the patient'"'"'s aorta, whereby when the inlet valve is open and the outlet valve is closed blood flowing through the inlets of the side-by-side conduits fills the sack portions of the conduits underneath the pump compression plate, to thereby push the compression plate upwardly until at least one of the sacks is filled, whereupon the compression plate descends to compress the sacks, thereby pumping the blood out of the conduits simultaneously while the inlet valve moves to the closed position and the outlet valve moves to the open position, whereby the pumping rate is automatically varied as a function of the filling pressure, to thereby substantially balance the volume of blood passing from the right atrium to the pulmonary artery with the volume of blood passing from the left ventricle to the aorta.

2. A biventricular pulsatile cardiac support system having a mechanically balanced stroke volume comprising, a pulsatile flow cardiopulmonary bypass pump having a compression chamber intermediate the inlet and outlet of said pump, said compression chamber including a movable compression plate and a fixed plate, a pair of side-by-side, externally valved, compressible conduits extending through said compression chamber and under said compression plate, each conduit having an inlet and an outlet, a passive exterior valve positioned at the pump inlet and outlet, said pair of side-by-side conduits extending through said valves, the portions of said compressible conduits extending between the inlet and outlet valves forming sacks, the valve at the pump inlet being positioned downstream from the inlets of said conduits, the valve at the pump outlet being positioned upstream from the outlets of said conduits, a first tube having one end connected to the inlet of one of said conduits and an opposite end connected to the right ventricle of a patient'"'"'s heart, a second tube having one end connected to the outlet of said one conduit and the opposite end adapted to be connected to the pulmonary artery of the patient'"'"'s heart, a third tube having one end connected to the inlet of the other of said conduits and an opposite end adapted to be connected to the left atrium of said patient and a fourth tube having one end connected to the outlet of said other tube and an opposite end adapted to be connected to the patient'"'"'s aorta, whereby when the inlet valve is open and the outlet valve is closed blood flowing through the inlets of the side-by-side conduits fills the sack portions of the conduits underneath the pump compression plate, to thereby push the compression plate upwardly until the sack portions are filled, whereupon the compression plate descends to compress the sacks, thereby pumping blood out of the conduits simultaneously while the inlet valve moves to the closed position and the outlet valve moves to the open position, whereby the pumping rate is automatically varied as a function of the filling pressure, to thereby substantially balance the volume of blood passing from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery with the volume of blood passing from the left atrium to the aorta.