Monitoring of redundant conductors
AssigneeTc1 LLC
InventorsDouglas C. Thomas, David J. Burke, Steven H. Reichenbach, Bryce A. Stammerjohan, Thomas C. Rintoul
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This document relates to continuity monitoring of electrical conductors. For example, materials and methods for continuity monitoring of conductors for use providing power to a blood pump (e.g., an assist device) are provided.
Claims28
A blood pump system comprising
- a blood pump,
- a first conductor that carries electrical current to said blood pump,
- one or more additional conductors that carry electrical current to said blood pump, and
- a monitor configured to monitor said first conductor and said one or more additional conductors for a failure condition by detecting electrical current in said first conductor and determining whether a failure condition occurred for at least one of said one or more additional conductors based on the detected electrical current in said first conductor, wherein said blood pump system lacks a second monitor configured to detect an electrical current in at least one of said one or more additional conductors.
A method of monitoring the integrity of a conductor and one or more additional conductors, wherein said conductor and said one or more additional conductors are included in a blood pump system, and further wherein said conductor and said one or more additional conductors carry electrical current, said method comprising:
- detecting a change in electrical current in said conductor without monitoring a change in electrical current in one or more of said one or more additional conductors;
- determining whether the integrity is compromised for at least one of said one or more additional conductors based on the detected electrical current in said conductor;
- and
- determining whether the integrity is compromised for said conductor based on the detected electrical current.
A method for monitoring the integrity of a conductor and one or more additional conductors, which conductor and one or more additional conductors are part of a blood pump system, wherein said conductor and said one or more additional conductors carry electrical current, said method comprising:
- determining a test electrical current in said conductor, wherein electrical current in one or more of said one or more additional conductors is not determined;
- comparing the determined test electrical current with a reference that indicates an electrical current that would be present in said conductor if the integrity of said conductor and the integrity of said one or more additional conductors were intact;
- determining whether the integrity is compromised for at least one of said one or more additional conductors based on the comparison of the determined test electrical current with the reference;
- and
- determining whether the integrity is compromised for said conductor based on the comparison of the determined test electrical current with the reference.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.