Artificial heart power supply system

• US 6,579,315 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Penn State Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: Penn State Research Foundation
• Inventors: Weiss, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse, David H.
• Application Number:
  US09/557,813
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 623/3.1, 623/3.27, 623/3.28, 600/16-17, 607/33-34, 607/60-61, 607/65
• US Class Current: 623/3.27
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8243 by induction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/104 Extracorporeal pumps, i.e. the blood being pumped outside the patient's body
• 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 60/178 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 60/196 replacing the entire heart, e.g. total artificial hearts [TAH]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/441 generated by an electromotor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/873 specially adapted for wireless or transcutaneous energy transfer [TET], e.g. inductive charging

Abstract

An apparatus adapted to be used in connection with an artificial heart assembly having a blood inlet conduit, a blood outlet conduit, and a pump that pumps blood from the blood inlet conduit to the blood outlet conduit. The apparatus includes an internal coil adapted to be implanted beneath the skin of a subject, an AC-to-DC converter that provides electric power from the internal coil to the pump, an external coil adapted to be disposed adjacent the internal coil and separated from the internal coil by the skin of a subject, the external coil being coupled to transmit electric power to the internal coil through the skin of the subject. A DC-to-AC converter is coupled to the external coil and to a source of DC power. The DC-to-AC converter selectively converts DC power from the DC power source into either a first frequency during a first period of time or a second frequency during a second period of time, the first frequency being different than the second frequency.

Claims

1. An artificial heart assembly, comprising:

a blood inlet conduit;

a blood outlet conduit;

a pump that pumps blood from said blood inlet conduit to said blood outlet conduit;

an internal coil adapted to be implanted beneath the skin of a subject;

an AC-to-DC converter coupled between said internal coil and said pump, said AC-to-DC converter providing electric power from said internal coil to said pump;

an external coil adapted to be disposed adjacent said internal coil and separated from said internal coil by the skin of a subject, said external coil being coupled to transmit electric power to said internal coil through the skin of a subject; and

a DC-to-AC converter coupled to said external coil and to a source of DC power, said DC-to-AC converter causing AC current to flow through said external coil, said DC-to-AC converter selectively converting DC power from said DC power source into either a first frequency during a first period of time or a second frequency during a second period of time, said first frequency being different than said second frequency.

2. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said internal coil is adapted to be implanted beneath the skin of a subject and wherein said external coil is adapted to be separated from said internal coil by the skin of the subject.

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

4. 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 pump 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.

5. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said second frequency is an odd subharmonic of said first frequency.

6. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said DC-to-AC converter is operable in a power-supply mode and an idle mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said first frequency during said power-supply mode, and wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said second frequency during said idle mode.

7. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said DC-to-AC converter is operable in a power-supply mode and an idle mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said first frequency during said power-supply mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said second frequency during said idle mode, and wherein said first frequency is higher than said second frequency.

8. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said DC-to-AC converter is operable in a power-supply mode and an idle mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said first frequency during said power-supply mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said second frequency during said idle mode, wherein said first frequency is higher than said second frequency, and wherein said first frequency is a multiple of said second frequency.

9. An artificial heart assembly, comprising:

a blood inlet conduit;

a blood outlet conduit;

a pump that pumps blood from said blood inlet conduit to said blood outlet conduit;

a motor coupled to drive said pump;

an internal coil adapted to be implanted beneath the skin of a subject;

an AC-to-DC converter coupled between said internal coil and said pump, said AC-to-DC converter generating a voltage having a magnitude from electric current passing through said internal coil, said voltage being provided to said motor;

a switching circuit operable in a first state in which electric current through said internal coil causes said voltage to increase and operable in a second state in which electric current through said internal coil does not cause said voltage to increase;

a switch control circuit operatively coupled to said switching circuit, said switch control circuit causing said switching circuit to operate in said first state when said voltage is below a threshold voltage, said switch control circuit causing said switching circuit to operate in said second state when said voltage is not below a threshold voltage;

an external coil adapted to be disposed adjacent said internal coil and separated from said internal coil by the skin of a subject, said external coil being coupled to transmit electric power to said internal coil through the skin of a subject;

a DC-to-AC converter coupled to said external coil and to a source of DC power, said DC-to-AC converter selectively converting DC power from said DC power source into either a first frequency during a first period of time or a second frequency during a second period of time, said first frequency being different than said second frequency; and

a converter control circuit coupled to said DC-to-AC converter, said converter control circuit causing said DC-to-AC converter to convert DC power from said DC power source into said first frequency when said switching circuit is in said first state, said converter control circuit causing said DC-to-AC converter to convert DC power from said DC power source into said second frequency when said switching circuit is in said second state.

10. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said internal coil is adapted to be implanted beneath the skin of a subject and wherein said external coil is adapted to be separated from said internal coil by the skin of the subject.

11. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 9 additionally comprising a membrane defining a blood chamber fluidly coupled to said blood inlet conduit and said blood outlet conduit, wherein said pump comprises a pusher member which makes contact with said membrane to force blood from said blood inlet conduit to said blood outlet conduit.

12. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 9 additionally comprising:

a first membrane defining a blood chamber fluidly coupled to said blood inlet conduit and said blood outlet conduit, wherein said pump 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.

13. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said DC-to-AC converter is operable in a power-supply mode and an idle mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said first frequency during said power-supply mode, and wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said second frequency during said idle mode.

14. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said DC-to-AC converter is operable in a power-supply mode and an idle mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said first frequency during said power-supply mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said second frequency during said idle mode, and wherein said first frequency is higher than said second frequency.

15. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said DC-to-AC converter is operable in a power-supply mode and an idle mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said first frequency during said power-supply mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said second frequency during said idle mode, wherein said first frequency is higher than said second frequency, and wherein said first frequency is a multiple of said second frequency.

16. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said converter control circuit comprises a frequency generator and a frequency select switch.

17. An artificial heart assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said switching circuit comprises a transistor.

18. An apparatus adapted to be used in connection with an artificial heart assembly having a blood inlet conduit, a blood outlet conduit, and a pump that pumps blood from said blood inlet conduit to said blood outlet conduit, said apparatus comprising:

an internal coil adapted to be implanted beneath the skin of a subject;

an AC-to-DC converter coupled between said internal coil and a pump, said AC-to-DC converter providing electric power from said internal coil to said pump;

an external coil adapted to be disposed adjacent said internal coil and separated from said internal coil by the skin of a subject, said external coil being coupled to transmit electric power to said internal coil through the skin of a subject; and

a DC-to-AC converter coupled to said external coil and to a source of DC power, said DC-to-AC converter causing AC current to flow through said external coil, said DC-to-AC converter selectively converting DC power from said DC power source into either a first frequency during a first period of time or a second frequency during a second period of time, said first frequency being different than said second frequency.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said second frequency is an odd subharmonic of said first frequency.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said DC-to-AC converter is operable in a power-supply mode and an idle mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said first frequency during said power-supply mode, and wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said second frequency during said idle mode.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said DC-to-AC converter is operable in a power-supply mode and an idle mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said first frequency during said power-supply mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said second frequency during said idle mode, and wherein said first frequency is higher than said second frequency.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said DC-to-AC converter is operable in a power-supply mode and an idle mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said first frequency during said power-supply mode, wherein said DC-to-AC converter converts DC power from said DC power source into said second frequency during said idle mode, wherein said first frequency is higher than said second frequency, and wherein said first frequency is a multiple of said second frequency.

23. A method of supplying electric power to an artificial heart assembly having a blood inlet conduit, a blood outlet conduit, a pump that pumps blood from the blood inlet conduit to the blood outlet conduit, and a motor that drives said pump, said method comprising:

generating an AC electric current having a frequency from a DC source;

causing said AC electric current to flow through an external coil disposed adjacent the skin of a subject to induce AC current through an internal coil disposed beneath the skin of a subject;

rectifying said AC current through said internal coil to generate a DC voltage having a magnitude;

supplying said DC voltage to said motor; and

changing said frequency of said AC electric current based on whether said magnitude of said DC voltage is greater than or less than a threshold value.

24. A method as defined in claim 23 comprising:

comparing said magnitude of said DC voltage with said threshold value;

if said magnitude of said DC voltage is greater than said threshold, increasing said frequency of said AC electric current; and

if said magnitude of said DC voltage is not greater than said threshold, decreasing said frequency of said AC electric current.

25. A method as defined in claim 23 comprising:

selectively operating a switch in a first state in which electric current through said internal coil cause'"'"'s said DC voltage to increase and in a second state in which electric current through said internal coil does not cause said DC voltage to increase;

causing said switch to operate in said first state when said voltage is below said threshold; and

causing said switch to operate in said second state when said voltage is not below a threshold voltage.