System and method for ventricular assistance support during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

A controller for a blood pump, in particular a catheter-based intravascular blood pump, the controller comprising:

• a processor configured to control a rotational speed of a motor of the catheter-based intravascular blood pump using a first selectable operating mode, wherein the first selectable operating mode comprises the following steps:
• detecting or determining aortic pressure values and left ventricular pressure values at a frequency of 0.5 Hz or greater;
• determining a coupling factor k every 1 to 5 seconds using the detected or determined aortic pressure value and the detected or determined left ventricular pressure value;
• and
• causing at least one adjustment to the rotational speed of the motor based on the determined value of the coupling factor k, where increasing rotational speed increases the left ventricle unloading, and decreasing the rotational speed decreases the left ventricle unloading, the at least one adjustment being:
• increasing the rotational speed of the motor by a first amount when the coupling factor k is greater than a first threshold value;
• increasing the rotational speed of the motor by a second amount when the coupling factor k is less than or equal to the first threshold value and greater than a third threshold value, the second amount being smaller than the first amount;
• decreasing the rotational speed of the motor by a third amount when the coupling factor k is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold value and less than a second threshold value;
• decreasing the rotational speed of the motor by a fourth amount when the coupling factor k is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold value and less than the fourth threshold value, the fourth amount being larger than the third amount;
• decreasing the rotational speed of the motor by a fifth amount when the coupling factor k is less than a fifth threshold value, the fifth amount being larger than the fourth amount;
• or
• a combination thereof.