Artificial heart with arrhythmia signalling

• US 6,395,027 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Penn State Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: Penn State Research Foundation
• Inventors: Snyder, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/557,819
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 623/3.1,3.11,3.13,3.16,3.27,3.28 600/17
• US Class Current: 623/3.28
• 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 60/196 replacing the entire heart, e.g. total artificial hearts [TAH]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/268 the displacement member being flexible, e.g. membranes, diaphragms or bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/441 generated by an electromotor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/508 Electronic control means, e.g. for feedback regulation

Abstract

An artificial heart assembly may be provided with a blood inlet conduit adapted to be implanted within a subject, a blood outlet conduit adapted to be implanted within the subject, a pumping mechanism implanted within the subject that pumps blood from the blood inlet conduit to the blood outlet conduit, and a motor coupled to drive the pumping mechanism. The artificial heart apparatus has a power source and a control circuit operatively coupled to cause the motor to drive the pumping mechanism in a regular mode when the power source has a relatively high charge level and in an irregular mode when the power source has a relatively low charge level so that the subject can feel when the pumping mechanism is being driven in the irregular mode and thus know that the power source has the relatively low charge level.

Claims

1. An artificial heart assembly, comprising:

a blood inlet conduit adapted to be implanted within a subject;

a blood outlet conduit adapted to be implanted within the subject;

a pumping mechanism adapted to be implanted within the subject that pumps blood from said blood inlet conduit to said blood outlet conduit;

a motor coupled to drive said pumping mechanism;

a power source; and

a control circuit operatively coupled to cause said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a regular mode when said power source has a relatively high charge level, said control circuit causing said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in an irregular mode when said power source has a relatively low charge level so that the subject can feel when said pumping mechanism is being driven in said irregular mode and thus know that said power source has said relatively low charge level.

2. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in said irregular mode when said power source generates a voltage below a threshold voltage.

3. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising a second power source, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in said irregular mode when neither of said power sources generates a voltage above a threshold voltage.

4. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period, and wherein said control circuit causes said pumping mechanism not to be subtantially moved during a variable delay period between said first time period and said second time period, said variable delay period having a variable duration which depends on said charge level of said power source.

5. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period, and wherein said control circuit causes said pumping mechanism not to be subtantially moved during a variable delay period between said first time period and said second time period, said variable delay period having a relatively long duration when said power source has said relatively low charge level and said variable delay period having a relatively short duration when said power source has said relatively high charge level.

6. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising a membrane defining a blood chamber fluidly coupled to said blood inlet conduit and said blood outlet conduit, wherein said pumping mechanism comprises a pusher member which makes contact with said membrane to force blood from said blood inlet conduit to said blood outlet conduit.

7. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising:

a first membrane defining a blood chamber fluidly coupled to said blood inlet conduit and said blood outlet conduit, wherein said pumping mechanism comprises a pusher member which makes contact with said first membrane to force blood from said blood inlet conduit to said blood outlet conduit;

a second membrane defining a second blood chamber fluidly coupled to a second blood inlet conduit and a second blood outlet conduit; and

a second pusher member which makes contact with said second membrane to force blood from said second blood inlet conduit to said second blood outlet conduit.

8. An artificial heart assembly comprising:

a blood inlet conduit;

a blood outlet conduit;

a pumping mechanism that is adapted to pump blood from said blood inlet conduit to said blood outlet conduit;

a motor coupled to drive said pumping mechanism; and

a control circuit operatively coupled to drive said motor, said control circuit comprising a microprocessor, a program memory, a computer program stored in said program memory, and a driver circuit, said control circuit causing said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a regular mode in response to a condition relating to said artificial heart assembly being absent, said control circuit causing said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in an irregular mode in response to said condition being present so that a subject can feel when said pumping mechanism is being driven in said irregular mode and thus know that said condition is present.

9. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 8 additionally comprising a power source, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in said irregular mode when said power source generates a voltage below a threshold voltage.

10. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 9 additionally comprising a second power source, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in said irregular mode when neither of said power sources generates a voltage above a threshold voltage.

11. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 8 wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period, and wherein said control circuit causes said pumping mechanism not to be subtantially moved during a variable delay period between said first time period and said second time period, said variable delay period having a variable duration which depends on whether said condition is present or absent.

12. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 8 wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period, and wherein said control circuit causes said pumping mechanism not to be subtantially moved during a variable delay period between said first time period and said second time period, said variable delay period having a relatively long duration when said condition is present and said variable delay period having a relatively short duration when said condition is absent.

13. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 8 additionally comprising a power source, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period, and wherein said control circuit causes said pumping mechanism not to be subtantially moved during a variable delay period between said first time period and said second time period, said variable delay period having a variable duration which depends on whether said power source generates a relatively high voltage or a relatively low voltage.

14. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 8 additionally comprising a power source, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period, wherein said control circuit causes said motor to drive said pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period, and wherein said control circuit causes said pumping mechanism not to be subtantially moved during a variable delay period between said first time period and said second time period, said variable delay period having a relatively long duration when said power source generates a relatively low voltage and said variable delay period having a relatively short duration when said power source generates a relatively high voltage.

15. A method of operating an artificial heart assembly having a pumping mechanism that is adapted to pump blood from a blood inlet conduit to a blood outlet conduit, said method comprising:

determining whether a condition relating to the artificial heart assembly is present;

if said condition relating to the artificial heart assembly is present, then driving the pumping mechanism in an irregular mode; and

if said condition relating to the artificial heart assembly is not present, then driving the pumping mechanism in a regular mode.

16. A method as defined in claim 15 comprising:

determining whether a power source generates a voltage lower than a normal operating voltage;

driving the pumping mechanism in said irregular mode if the power source generates a voltage lower than said normal operating voltage; and

driving the pumping mechanism in said regular mode if the power source does not generate a voltage lower than said normal operating voltage.

17. A method as defined in claim 15 comprising:

driving the pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period;

driving the pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period; and

waiting a variable delay period between said first time period and said second time period in which the pumping mechanism is not substantially moved, said variable delay period having a variable duration which depends on whether said condition is present or absent.

18. A method as defined in claim 15 comprising:

driving the pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period;

driving the pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period;

waiting a relatively long delay period between said first time period and said second time period in which the pumping mechanism is not substantially moved;

driving the pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period;

driving the pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period; and

waiting a relatively short delay period between said first time period and said second time period in which the pumping mechanism is not substantially moved.

19. A method as defined in claim 15 wherein the artificial heart assembly includes a power source, said method comprising:

determining if the power source generates a voltage lower than a normal operating voltage;

driving the pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period;

driving the pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period; and

waiting a variable delay period between said first time period and said second time period in which the pumping mechanism is not substantially moved, said variable delay period having a variable duration which depends on whether the power source generates a voltage lower than said normal operating voltage.

20. A method as defined in claim 15 wherein the artificial heart assembly includes a power source, said method comprising:

determining if the power source generates a voltage lower than a normal operating voltage;

driving the pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period;

driving the pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period;

waiting a relatively long delay period between said first time period and said second time period in which the pumping mechanism is not substantially moved;

driving the pumping mechanism in a first direction for a first time period;

driving the pumping mechanism in a second direction for a second time period; and

waiting a relatively short delay period between said first time period and said second time period in which the pumping mechanism is not substantially moved.