Magnetically-coupled implantable medical devices
First Claim
1. A medical apparatus, comprising:
- a drive magnet, externally located with respect to a subject'"'"'s body, having a first axis, and mounted on a first support means for supporting said drive magnet along said first axis for rotation of said drive magnet about said first axis; and
,an implant device implantable in the subject'"'"'s body, said implant device comprising a valve and a pump, said valve having a fluid inlet and outlet for passage of fluid through said valve;
said implant device further comprising a driven magnet having a second axis, said driven magnet being mounted on a second support means for supporting rotation of said driven magnet about said second axis by magnetic pole coupling with said drive magnet when said driven magnet is implanted in the subject'"'"'s body and said drive magnet is rotated sufficiently close to said driven magnet to be magnetically coupled thereto; and
,said valve being mechanically linked to the rotation of said driven magnet such that said valve is selectively opened and closed by rotation of said driven magnet.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Medical apparatus includes an external drive magnet mounted for rotation externally of a subject'"'"'s body, an implantable driven magnet configured and dimensioned to be implantable in the subject'"'"'s body and mounted for rotation by magnetic coupling with the drive magnet and an implantable device mechanically coupled to the driven magnet to be driven thereby. The driven magnet is mountable for rotation in the subject'"'"'s body about an axis of rotation which is not collinear with the axis of rotation of the external drive magnet such that the magnetic poles of the external drive magnet are magnetically coupled sequentially with the magnetic poles of the implanted driven magnet to rotate the implanted driven magnet, thereby providing flexibility in the location, design and dimensions of the implanted driven magnet, and in the speed and torque ratios between the two magnets.
309 Citations
76 Claims
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1. A medical apparatus, comprising:
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a drive magnet, externally located with respect to a subject'"'"'s body, having a first axis, and mounted on a first support means for supporting said drive magnet along said first axis for rotation of said drive magnet about said first axis; and
,an implant device implantable in the subject'"'"'s body, said implant device comprising a valve and a pump, said valve having a fluid inlet and outlet for passage of fluid through said valve; said implant device further comprising a driven magnet having a second axis, said driven magnet being mounted on a second support means for supporting rotation of said driven magnet about said second axis by magnetic pole coupling with said drive magnet when said driven magnet is implanted in the subject'"'"'s body and said drive magnet is rotated sufficiently close to said driven magnet to be magnetically coupled thereto; and
,said valve being mechanically linked to the rotation of said driven magnet such that said valve is selectively opened and closed by rotation of said driven magnet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A medical apparatus, comprising:
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a drive magnet, externally located with respect to a subject'"'"'s body, having a first axis and mounted on a first support means for supporting said drive magnet along said first axis for rotation about said first axis; an implant device implantable in the subject'"'"'s body, said implant device comprising a driven magnet having a second axis, said driven magnet being implantable in the subject'"'"'s body and mounted on a second support means for supporting rotation of said driven magnet along said second axis by magnetic pole coupling with said drive magnet when said driven magnet is implanted in the subject'"'"'s body and said drive magnet is rotated sufficiently close to said driven magnet to be magnetically coupled thereto; said implant device further comprising a valve, said valve having a fluid inlet and outlet for passage of fluid through said valve, said valve being mechanically linked to the rotation of said driven magnet such that said valve is selectively opened and closed by rotation of said driven magnet; and
,said valve further comprising a plug means, and a screw and nut motion converter means for axially displacing said plug means toward and away from said outlet, said screw and nut motion converter means connected to said plug means and to said second support means of said driven magnet so that said plug means is axially displaceable towards said outlet upon rotation of said driven magnet in a first direction and is axially displaceable away from said outlet upon rotation of said driven magnet in a second direction. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A medical apparatus, comprising:
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a drive magnet, externally located with respect to a subject'"'"'s body, having a first axis and mounted on a first support means for supporting said drive magnet along said first axis for rotation about said first axis; and
,an implant device implantable in the subjects body, said implant device comprising a driven magnet, said driven magnet having a second axis and being mounted on a second support means for supporting rotation of said driven magnet along said second axis by magnetic pole coupling with said drive magnet when said driven magnet is implanted in the subject'"'"'s body and said drive magnet is rotated sufficiently close to said driven magnet to be magnetically coupled thereto; said implant device comprising a valve, said valve having a fluid inlet and outlet for passage of fluid through said valve, said valve being mechanically linked to the rotation of said driven magnet such that said valve is selectively opened and closed by rotation of said driven magnet, said valve comprises a housing containing said driven magnet, a pivotal valve member having an open and a closed position, located at said outlet; and
a screw and nut motion converter means connected to said valve member so as to pivot said valve member to said open position upon the rotation of said driven magnet in a first direction, and to pivot said valve member to said closed position upon rotation of said driven magnet in the opposite direction. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A medical apparatus, comprising:
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a drive magnet, externally located with respect to a subject'"'"'s body, having a first axis, and mounted on a first support means for supporting said drive magnet along said first axis for rotation about said first axis; and
,a fluid pump dimensioned to be contained in a fluid carrying vessel of the subject'"'"'s body, said pump comprising a housing containing a driven magnet, an inlet and an outlet, said driven magnet having a second axis and being mounted on a second support means for supporting rotation of said driven magnet about said second axis by magnetic pole coupling with said drive magnet when said driven magnet is implanted in the subject'"'"'s body and said drive magnet is rotated sufficiently close to said driven magnet to be magnetically coupled thereto. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A medical apparatus, comprising:
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a drive magnet, externally located with respect to a subject'"'"'s body, having a first axis and mounted on a first support means for supporting said drive magnet along said first axis for rotation about said first axis; and
,a pump implantable in the subject'"'"'s body, said pump comprising a tubular housing containing a driven magnet; said driven magnet having a second axis and being mounted on a second support means contained in said housing for supporting rotation of said driven magnet about said second axis by magnetic pole coupling with said drive magnet when said housing is implanted in the subject'"'"'s body and said drive magnet is rotated sufficiently close to said driven magnet to be magnetically coupled thereto; and
,said pump comprising at least one impeller vane on the surface of said driven magnet to pump liquid through said housing upon rotation of said drive magnet. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A medical apparatus, comprising:
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a drive magnet, externally located with respect to a subject'"'"'s body, having a first axis and mounted on a first support means for supporting said drive magnet along said first axis for rotation about said first axis; and a pump comprising a housing dimensioned to be contained in a fluid carrying vessel in the subject'"'"'s body; said housing containing a driven magnet, said driven magnet having a second axis and being mounted on a second support means in said housing for supporting rotation of said driven magnet about said second axis by magnetic pole coupling with said drive magnet when said driven magnet is implanted in the subject'"'"'s body and said drive magnet is rotated sufficiently close to said driven magnet to be magnetically coupled thereto; and
, said pump comprising at least one impeller vane on the surface of said driven magnet to pump liquid through said housing upon rotation of said drive magnet. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A medical apparatus, comprising:
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a drive magnet, externally located with respect to a subject'"'"'s body, having a first axis and mounted on a first support means for supporting said drive magnet along said first axis for rotation about said first axis; and a pump implantable in the subject'"'"'s body, said pump comprising a housing containing a driven magnet, said driven magnet having a second axis and being mounted on a second support means for supporting rotation of said driven magnet about said second axis by magnetic pole coupling with said drive magnet when said driven magnet is implanted in the subject'"'"'s body and said drive magnet is rotated sufficiently close to said driven magnet to be magnetically coupled thereto; said pump comprising at least one impeller vane on the surface of said driven magnet to pump liquid through said housing upon rotation of said drive magnet, and further comprising at least one stationary guide vane. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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Specification