Auxiliary artificial heart of an embedded type
First Claim
1. An artificial heart for embedment in a heart of a human body comprising:
- a casing having a longitudinal axis, first and second rooms positioned along the longitudinal axis, and a partition wall having a through hole extending along the longitudinal axis and between said first and second rooms to separate the rooms, the casing including inlet and outlet ports in communication with the first room;
a motor in the second room, and having a rotary mechanism including a rotor and a drive shaft connected to the rotor, the drive shaft extending along the longitudinal axis from the second room to the first room through the through hole of the partition wall;
a pump having an impeller received in the first room and driven by the drive shaft;
a stationary seal member attached to the partition wall and positioned apart from the drive shaft to define a chamber therebetween in which a seal liquid is received, the stationary seal member having a first seal surface;
a movable seal member carried by the drive shaft and positioned in the first room, the movable seal member having a second seal surface; and
a magnet assembly for axially urging the drive shaft in one direction by a magnetic force enabling the second seal surface to contact the first seal surface to seal the chamber from the first room.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An artificial heart has a driving section, a nozzle section, a pump section for insertion into a ventricle of a human heart, and a sealing section forming a seal for a driving shaft extending from the driving section for driving the pump section. A sealing liquid chamber filled with a sealing liquid is formed around the driving shaft between the sealing mechanism and the driving section. The sealing liquid in the sealing liquid chamber maintains the sealing mechanism in a liquid-tight state and lubricates the sealing mechanism, whereby blood is prevented from entering the driving section. Even if blood happens to enter the driving section, the blood is mixed with the sealing liquid and does not coagulate. Thus, the operation of the artificial heart is not suppressed.
211 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An artificial heart for embedment in a heart of a human body comprising:
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a casing having a longitudinal axis, first and second rooms positioned along the longitudinal axis, and a partition wall having a through hole extending along the longitudinal axis and between said first and second rooms to separate the rooms, the casing including inlet and outlet ports in communication with the first room;
a motor in the second room, and having a rotary mechanism including a rotor and a drive shaft connected to the rotor, the drive shaft extending along the longitudinal axis from the second room to the first room through the through hole of the partition wall;
a pump having an impeller received in the first room and driven by the drive shaft;
a stationary seal member attached to the partition wall and positioned apart from the drive shaft to define a chamber therebetween in which a seal liquid is received, the stationary seal member having a first seal surface;
a movable seal member carried by the drive shaft and positioned in the first room, the movable seal member having a second seal surface; and
a magnet assembly for axially urging the drive shaft in one direction by a magnetic force enabling the second seal surface to contact the first seal surface to seal the chamber from the first room. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification