Chronic ventricular assist system
US4908012A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 8, 1988 |
| Grant date | Mar 13, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 8, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S415/90
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An implantable ventricular assist system uses a small high-speed axial flow blood pump which may be grafted into the patient's circulatory system. The pump includes a blood tube in which the pump rotor and stator are coaxially contained, and a motor stator surrounding the blood duct. A permanent magnet motor rotor is integral with the pump rotor. Purge fluid for the hydrodynamic bearings of the device and power for the motor are preferably percutaneously introduced from extracorporeal sources worn by the patient. The purge fluid is introduced into the pump stator blades. This construction avoids the creation of discontinuities in the blood path wall due to the routing of drive power and/or fluid supply elements through the blood path wall. The described construction greatly reduces the size of the implant needed for a given blood flow rate and enhances its physiological compatibility with the body. Specifically, the system of this invention minimizes the risk of infection by reducing vibration, minimizing the size of the percutaneous conduit, and directing most of the heat generated by the pump into the blood.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.