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US 11,534,596 B2Granted
Pulsatile blood pump via contraction with smart material
AssigneeHeartWare, Inc.
InventorsDavid A. Schafir, Fernando Casas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inflow cannula for an implantable blood pump, the inflow cannula defining an inlet at a proximal end, an opposite distal end, and a lumen therebetween, the inflow cannula being configured to constrict the lumen.
Claims20
A blood pump system, comprising:
- an inflow cannula defining an inlet at a proximal end, an opposite distal end, and a lumen defining a flow path for a blood flow therebetween;
- a power source;
- and
- a piezoelectric element configured to cause the inflow cannula to flex to constrict the flow path when the power source applies an electric potential to the piezoelectric element.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- detecting, using processing circuitry, a loss of power to an implantable blood pump, the implantable blood pump being fluidically coupled to an inflow cannula and being configured to receive power from a power source;
- and
- substantially occluding, using the inflow cannula, a lumen of the inflow cannula when the processing circuitry detects the loss of power, wherein substantially occluding the lumen comprises causing, by a piezoelectric element, the inflow cannula to flex to constrict a flow path through the lumen.
A blood pump system, comprising:
- an inflow cannula for an implantable blood pump, the inflow cannula defining an inlet at a proximal end, an opposite distal end, and a lumen therebetween, the inflow cannula including an outer tube and a concentric inner tube, the inner tube being flexible independently of the outer tube;
- and
- a piezoelectric element configured to cause the inner tube to flex to constrict the lumen when an electric potential is applied to the piezoelectric element, the inner tube defining a substantially hyperboloid shape to constrict the lumen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.