Magnetically levitated pump and controlling circuit

• US 6,626,644 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation, Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ozaki, Takayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Han L
• Application Number:
  US09/983,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20020051711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 417/45, 417/423.4, 417/423.7, 417/423.12, 417/44.1, 417/44.3, 417/44.11, 417/410.1, 417/420, 415/98, 415/900, 415/101, 415/103
• US Class Current: 417/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/122 Implantable pumps or pumping devices, i.e. the blood being pumped inside 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 60/237 the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/422 the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/822 specially adapted for being actively controlled
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/0666 the motor being of the plane gap type
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/048 magnetic; electromagnetic
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2316/18 Pumps for pumping blood
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/44 Centrifugal pumps in general F04D
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/0444 Details of devices to control the actuation of the electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 415/90 Rotary blood pump

Abstract

An impeller has one surface with a soft magnetic member arranged closer to an inner diameter thereof, opposite an electromagnet, the impeller is provided with a permanent magnet arranged closer to an outer diameter thereof, opposite a permanent magnet of a rotor, and the impeller has the other surface provided with a ferromagnetic body, opposite a permanent magnet of a casing, thereby magnetically levitating the impeller, and allowing a motor stator to rotate a motor rotor to rotate the impeller.

Claims

1. A magnetically levitated pump comprising:

an impeller in a form of a disc for delivery of fluid, having one side provided with a first ferromagnetic body and the other side circumferentially provided with a second ferromagnetic body;

an electromagnet arranged adjacent one side of said impeller to face said first ferromagnetic body to attract said impeller toward said electromagnet;

a permanent magnet circumferentially arranged in a pump casing adjacent a pump chamber and adjacent said other side of said impeller to face said second ferromagnetic body to attract said impeller toward said permanent magnet; and

a mechanism arranged adjacent said one side of said impeller to transmit to said impeller without contacting said impeller a force driving and thus rotating said impeller,

wherein said impeller is magnetically levitated by controlling an electric current flowing through said electromagnet to provide in balance an attractive force provided by said permanent magnet to said second ferromagnetic body and an attractive force provided by said electromagnet to said first ferromagnetic body.

2. The pump of claim 1, wherein:

said impeller has said one side circumferentially provided with a permanent magnet; and

said mechanism includes a motor comprising a motor rotor having, on one side adjacent said impeller, a permanent magnet circumferentially disposed opposite said circumferentially provided permanent magnet of said impeller and a motor stator provided adjacent a side of said motor rotor opposite said one side of said motor rotor.

3. The pump of claim 2, wherein:

said first ferromagnetic body is arranged opposite said electromagnet and said permanent magnet of said impeller is circumferentially arranged closer to an outer diameter of said impeller than an inner diameter thereof; and

said electromagnet is arranged closer to an inner diameter of said impeller than an outer diameter thereof and said motor rotor is arranged closer to an outer diameter of said impeller than an inner diameter thereof.

4. The pump of claim 2, wherein:

said circumferentially provided permanent magnet of said impeller is arranged closer to an inner diameter of said impeller than an outer diameter thereof and said first ferromagnetic body is arranged closer to an outer diameter of said impeller than an inner diameter thereof opposite said electromagnet; and

said motor rotor is arranged closer to an inner diameter of said impeller than an outer diameter thereof and said electromagnet is arranged closer to an outer diameter of said impeller than an inner diameter thereof.

5. The pump of claim 1, wherein said mechanism includes a motor rotor arranged on said one side of said impeller, and a motor stator arranged opposite said motor rotor.

6. A magnetically levitated pump comprising:

an impeller in a form of a disc for delivery of fluid, having one surface provided with a first ferromagnetic body and the other surface circumferentially provided with a second ferromagnetic body;

an electromagnet closer to one side of said impeller to face said first ferromagnetic body to attract said impeller toward one side;

a permanent magnet arranged closer to the other side of said impeller circumferentially to face said second ferromagnetic body to attract said impeller toward the other side; and

a mechanism arranged closer to said one side of said impeller to transmit to said impeller without contacting said impeller a force driving and thus rotating said impeller,

wherein said impeller is magnetically levitated by controlling an electric current flowing through said electromagnet to provide in balance an attractive force provided by said permanent magnet and applied to said second ferromagnetic body and an attractive force provided by said electromagnet and applied to said first ferromagnetic body, and

wherein said mechanism includes a motor rotor arranged closer to one side of said impeller, and a motor stator arranged opposite said motor rotor.

7. A control circuit controlling a magnetically levitated pump, applying an electromagnetic attractive force in one direction of an impeller and at least one of a magnetic attractive force to support said impeller without contacting said impeller, said control circuit having a sensor detecting a position of the impeller and an electromagnet applying said electromagnetic attractive force to said impeller to position said impeller, comprising:

a separation circuit driven by an output of said sensor to separate a movement of said impeller into a translative movement in a direction of an axis of rotation of said impeller, a pitching movement and a yawing movement;

a phase compensation circuit including a proportional-plus-derivative circuit and one of an integral circuit and a lowpass circuit in parallel with said proportional-plus-derivative circuit for each said movement provided by said separation circuit; and

a limit circuit connected to said phase compensation circuit at one of an input and an output of one of said integral circuit and said lowpass circuit controlling said translative movement.

8. The control circuit of claim 7, wherein when said impeller leans closer to said electromagnet than a position set for said impeller to be levitated, said limit circuit disconnects one of said input and said output of one of said integral circuit and said lowpass circuit controlling said translative movement.

9. The pump of claim 7, wherein said limit circuit outputs a signal representing one of positive and negative outputs of one of said input and said output of one of said integral circuit and said lowpass circuit controlling said translative movement.

10. A control circuit controlling a magnetically levitated pump, applying an electromagnetic attractive force in one direction of an impeller and at least one of a magnetic attractive force to support said impeller without contacting said impeller, said control circuit having a sensor detecting a position of the impeller and an electromagnet applying said electromagnetic attractive force to said impeller to position said impeller, comprising:

an operation circuit operative in response to an output of said sensor to perform an operation to calculate a distance between each said electromagnet and said impeller;

a phase compensation circuit including in parallel a proportional plus derivative circuit and one of an integral circuit and a lowpass circuit receiving a signal output from said operation circuit; and

a limit circuit connected to one of an input and an output of one of said integral circuit and said lowpass circuit.

11. The control circuit of claim 10, wherein when said impeller leans closer to said electromagnet than a position set for said impeller to be levitated, said limit circuit disconnects one of said input and said output of one of said integral circuit and said lowpass circuit controlling said translative movement.

12. The pump of claim 10, wherein said limit circuit outputs a signal representing one of positive and negative outputs of one of said input and said output of one of said integral circuit and said lowpass circuit controlling said translative movement.

13. The pump of claim 10, for use for blood circulation.

14. A control circuit controlling a magnetically levitated pump, applying an electromagnetic attractive force in one direction of an impeller and at least one of a magnetic attractive force to support said impeller without contacting said impeller, said control circuit having a sensor detecting a position of the impeller and an electromagnet applying said electromagnetic attractive force to said impeller to position said impeller, comprising:

a separation circuit driven by an output of said sensor to separate a movement of said impeller into a translative movement in a direction of an axis of rotation of said impeller, a pitching movement and a yawing movement;

a phase compensation circuit applying proportional, derivative and integral elements for each of said translative, pitching and yawing movements to control said pitching and yawing movements;

a filter circuit extracting only a low frequency component from each movement parameter; and

an addition circuit connected to an input of each said phase compensation circuit and adding an output of each said filter circuit for said pitching and yawing movements,

wherein compensation is made for a gyroscopic moment introduced when said impeller is rotating.

15. The pump of claim 14, further comprising a circuit detecting a rotation speed of said impeller to alter a level of compensation for said gyroscopic moment.

16. The pump of claim 14, for use for blood circulation.

17. A control circuit controlling a magnetically levitated pump, applying an electromagnetic attractive force in one direction of an impeller and at least one of a magnetic attractive force to support said impeller without contacting said impeller, said control circuit having a plurality of sensors detecting a position of the impeller and a plurality of electromagnets applying said electromagnetic attractive force to said impeller to position said impeller, comprising:

an operation circuit operative in response to an output of said sensor to perform an operation to calculate a distance between said electromagnet and said impeller;

a phase compensation circuit controlling an electromagnetic attractive force of each of said electromagnets via proportional, derivative and integral elements receiving a signal output from said operation circuit; and

;

a circuit extracting a low frequency component from a signal obtained from an operation calculating a distance between an adjacent one of said electromagnets and said impeller, and adding said low frequency component to an input of said phase compensation circuit,

wherein compensation is made for a gyroscopic moment introduced when said impeller is rotating.

18. A control circuit controlling a magnetically levitated pump, applying an electromagnetic attractive force in one direction of an impeller and at least one of a magnetic attractive force to support said impeller without contacting said impeller, said control circuit having a plurality of sensors detecting a position of the impeller and a plurality of electromagnets applying said electromagnetic attractive force to said impeller to position said impeller, comprising:

an operation circuit operative in response to an output of said sensor to perform an operation to calculate a distance between said electromagnet and said impeller;

a phase compensation circuit controlling an electromagnetic attractive force of each of said electromagnets via proportional, derivative and integral elements receiving a signal output from said operation circuit; and

an addition circuit adding only a signal output from a corresponding said integral element and an output of an adjacent said phase compensation circuit together,

wherein compensation is made for a gyroscopic moment introduced when said impeller is rotating.

19. A magnetically levitated pump comprising:

an impeller in a form of a disc for delivery of fluid, having one side provided with a first ferromagnetic body and the other side circumferentially provided with a second ferromagnetic body;

an electromagnet arranged adjacent one side of said impeller to face said first ferromagnetic body to attract said impeller toward said electromagnet;

a third ferromagnetic body circumferentially arranged in a pump casing adjacent a pump chamber and adjacent said other side of said impeller to face said second ferromagnetic body to attract said impeller toward said third ferromagnetic body; and

a mechanism arranged adjacent said one side of said impeller to transmit to said impeller without contacting said impeller a magnetic force driving and thus rotating said impeller,

wherein at least either said second or third ferromagnetic body is a permanent magnet; and

said impeller is magnetically levitated by controlling an electric current flowing through said electromagnet to balance an attractive force between said third ferromagnetic body and said second ferromagnetic body with an attractive force provided by said electromagnet to said first ferromagnetic body under the effect of said magnetic force.

20. The pump of claim 19, wherein:

said impeller has said one side circumferentially provided with a permanent magnet; and

said mechanism includes a motor comprising a motor rotor having, on one side adjacent said impeller, a permanent magnet circumferentially disposed opposite said circumferentially provided permanent magnet of said impeller and a motor stator provided adjacent a side of said motor rotor opposite said one side of said motor rotor.

21. The pump of claim 20, wherein:

said first ferromagnetic body is arranged opposite said electromagnet and said permanent magnet of said impeller is circumferentially arranged closer to an outer diameter of said impeller than an inner diameter thereof; and

said electromagnet is arranged closer to an inner diameter of said impeller than an outer diameter thereof and said motor rotor is arranged closer to an outer diameter of said impeller than an inner diameter thereof.

22. The pump of claim 20, wherein:

said circumferentially provided permanent magnet of said impeller is arranged closer to an inner diameter of said impeller than an outer diameter thereof and said first ferromagnetic body is arranged closer to an outer diameter of said impeller than an inner diameter thereof opposite said electromagnet; and

said motor rotor is arranged closer to an inner diameter of said impeller than an outer diameter thereof and said electromagnet is arranged closer to an outer diameter of said impeller than an inner diameter thereof.

23. The pump of claim 19, wherein said mechanism includes a motor rotor arranged on said one side of said impeller, and a motor stator arranged opposite said motor rotor.