Methods, systems and devices relating to implantable fluid pumps
AssigneeThe Foundry, LLC
InventorsRonald French, Bernard H. Andreas, Hanson S. Gifford III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An implantable pump system including an external driver. The implantable pump is driven by the external driver during normal operation but may also operate on a battery. The external driver is used to drive the pump with the mechanical energy of the impeller also being used to charge the battery. The external driver is also useful during emergency situations to directly drive the pump if the battery or internal coils should fail. The pump is also preferably implanted in a subpectoral location outside the patient's rib cage.
Claims44
A pump system, comprising;
- an implantable pump having a pumping element, the implantable pump being implantable into a patient for pumping a fluid in a patient, the pump having an inlet which directs the fluid to the pumping element and an outlet which delivers fluid from the pumping element;
- and
- an external driver positioned outside the patient's body, the external driver having a driving element, the driving element being drivingly coupled to the pumping element to drive the pumping element from a location outside the patient.
A method of operating an implantable pump, comprising the steps of:
- providing a blood pump having a pumping element and a battery, the battery providing power to drive the pumping element, the pump also having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the pumping element receiving fluid from the pump inlet and delivering the fluid to the pump outlet;
- implanting the blood pump in a patient;
- and
- charging the battery by driving the pumping element with an external driver positioned outside the patient's body, wherein the mechanical motion of the pumping element generates power to charge the battery.
A method of providing pumping assistance for a patient's heart, comprising the steps of;
- providing a blood pump having a pumping element, a blood inlet and a blood outlet;
- implanting the blood pump in a patient at a subpectoral location outside the ribs;
- coupling the blood inlet to a first vascular location;
- and
- coupling the blood outlet to a second vascular location.
A method of providing pumping assistance for a patient's heart, comprising the steps of;
- providing a blood pump having a pumping element, a blood inlet, a blood inlet lumen, and a blood outlet;
- implanting the blood pump in a patient;
- passing the blood inlet lumen through a penetration at a first vascular location, the inlet lumen extending through the right atrium, through the atrial septum and into the left atrium;
- coupling the blood outlet to a second vascular location;
- operating the blood pump so that blood is drawn into the inlet lumen and pumped by the pumping element to the blood outlet and back to the patient.
A method of providing pumping assistance to a patient's heart, comprising the steps of:
- providing a blood pump having a blood inlet and a blood outlet;
- implanting the blood pump in a patient;
- coupling the blood inlet to a first vascular location and coupling the blood outlet to a second vascular location selected from axillary and subclavian arteries;
- and
- operating the blood pump so that blood is drawn into the blood inlet and pumped to the blood outlet and back to the patient to provide pumping assistance to the patient's heart.
An implantable pump, comprising:
- a housing;
- a pumping element contained within the housing;
- a blood inlet;
- a blood outlet;
- and
- a blood inlet lumen coupled to the blood inlet, the blood inlet lumen being sized and configured to extend through a peripheral vessel to the right atrium, through the atrial septum and into the left atrium, the blood inlet lumen having at least one opening for drawing blood from the left atrium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.