Blood pump controller and system

A system controller for driving a blood pump comprising an impeller sealed within a pump housing and hydrodynamically suspended in the pump housing, wherein the impeller comprises a plurality of magnets, the blood pump comprising a plurality of stator coils in a brushless DC motor that, when driven by a plurality of drive signals, make the impeller rotate within the pump housing, wherein the system controller comprises:

• an electrical connector for electrically connecting the system controller to the blood pump to provide the plurality of drive signals from the system controller to the plurality of stator coils in the brushless DC motor in the blood pump;
• a display;
• at least one input key for a user of the system controller;
• at least one visual indicator for the user;
• at least one audio device for signaling to the user an alert or alarm condition;
• a reserve battery internal to a housing for the system controller that provides power when an external primary battery does not provide power to the system controller and when an external AC/DC adapter does not provide power to the system controller;
• a clinician interface that provides a graphical user interface that allows a medical clinician to set speed of the blood pump and to define or select at least one alert or alarm condition in the system controller using a clinician computer coupled to the clinician interface;
• a control processor that provides management functions for the system controller, that displays at least one message on the display, and that activates at least one of the visual indicator and the at least one audio device to signal an alert or alarm condition;
• and
• a programmable logic device that provides field-oriented control of the brushless DC motor in the blood pump by providing the plurality of drive signals to the plurality of stator coils in the brushless DC motor in the blood pump via the electrical connector, wherein the programmable logic device is configured to continue providing the plurality of drive signals when the control processor stops working.