# US 2018/0021497 A1 · Ventricular assist devices and integrated sensors thereof

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- Number: US 2018/0021497 A1
- Document ID: US20180021497A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/652,793
- Filed: 2017-07-18
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-19
- Assignees: HeartWare, Inc.
- Applicants: HeartWare, Inc.
- Inventors: Nathalie Jeannette NUNEZ; Timothy MCSWEENEY
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021497A1

## CPC

- A61M 60/148: in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices
- A61M 60/174: discharging the blood to the ventricle or arterial system via a cannula internal to the ventricle or arterial system
- A61M 60/17: inside a ventricle, e.g. intraventricular balloon pumps
- A61M 60/232: Centrifugal pumps
- A61M 60/237: the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps
- A61M 60/419: the force acting on the blood contacting member being permanent magnetic, e.g. from a rotating magnetic coupling between driving and driven magnets
- A61M 60/422: the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps
- A61M 60/523: using blood flow data, e.g. from blood flow transducers
- A61M 60/531: using blood pressure data, e.g. from blood pressure sensors
- A61M 60/816: Sensors arranged on or in the housing, e.g. ultrasonic flow sensors
- A61M 60/857: Implantable blood tubes
- A61M 60/863: Apex rings
- A61M 60/873: specially adapted for wireless or transcutaneous energy transfer [TET], e.g. inductive charging
- A61M 60/88: Percutaneous cables
- A61M 2205/0244: Micromachined materials, e.g. made from silicon wafers, microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] or comprising nanotechnology
- A61M 2205/3331: Pressure; Flow
- A61M 2205/3334: Measuring or controlling the flow rate
- A61M 2205/70: with testing or calibration facilities
- A61M 2230/30: Blood pressure (A61M2230/04 takes precedence)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}

## Abstract

A ventricular assist device for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject includes a pump including a housing having an inlet end, an inlet at the inlet end, and an outlet. The pump further includes a moveable element disposed in the pump housing for pumping blood from the inlet to the outlet. A base member is included as well as a spacer member connected to the pump housing and the base member. The base member is positioned a distance from the inlet end of the pump housing to define a gap therebetween. One or more sensor elements are mounted to at least one from the group consisting of the base member and the housing, the one or more sensor elements being configured to measure one or more blood parameters prevailing within the gap during operation of the pump.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A ventricular assist device for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject comprising:
a pump including a housing having an inlet end, an inlet at the inlet end, and an outlet, the pump further including a moveable element disposed in the pump housing for pumping blood from the inlet to the outlet;
a base member;
a spacer member connected to the pump housing and the base member, the base member being positioned a distance from the inlet end of the pump housing to define a gap therebetween; and
one or more sensor elements mounted to at least one from the group consisting of the base member and the housing, the one or more sensor elements being configured to measure one or more blood parameters prevailing within the gap during operation of the pump.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensor elements include a first sensor element mounted to the pump housing and a second sensor element mounted to the base member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the first and second sensor elements are ultrasonic transducers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, wherein the pump inlet has a major longitudinal axis, and wherein the ultrasonic transducers are disposed on the base member and pump housing, and during use, ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transducers and passing between the ultrasonic transducers cross the major longitudinal axis of the inlet.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second sensor elements include an ultrasonic flow sensor, and wherein the device further includes a third sensor element connected to the base member, the third sensor element being a pressure sensor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensor elements include an ultrasonic transducer mounted on at least one from the group consisting of the pump housing and the base element, the other one from the group consisting of the pump housing and the base element has a reflective surface disposed across the gap from the ultrasonic transducer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the pump inlet has a major longitudinal axis, the ultrasonic transducer and the reflective surface being disposed on the base member and pump housing, and wherein ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transducer and passing from the ultrasonic transducer to the reflective surface and back to the transducer will cross the major longitudinal axis of the inlet.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensor elements include a pressure sensor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the base member has a first end facing toward the pump housing, the base member having a passageway extending within the base member to an opening at the first end of the base member, and wherein the pressure sensor is disposed in the passageway.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the pressure sensor is mounted on a plug and the plug is releasably received in the passageway.

### Claim 11

A ventricular assist device for connection to a heart of a mammalian subject, comprising:
a first housing member defining an inlet
a second housing member coupled to the first housing member and defining an outlet,
the first housing member and the second housing member defining a flow path extending from the inlet to the outlet;
a post extending into the flow path from an inner surface of the second housing thereof and aligned with the inlet;
a rotor sized to be received within the first housing member and the second housing member and defining a bore, the post being received within the bore, the rotor being rotatable about the post to pump blood along the flow path; and
a sensor mounted on the post.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, wherein the post includes a cylindrical portion and a conical portion, and the sensor is mounted on at least one from the group consisting of the cylindrical and conical portions.

### Claim 14

A method of assisting the pumping action of a heart of a mammalian subject, comprising:
operating a pump of a ventricular assist device to pump blood from a ventricle of a mammalian subject into a gap defined between a pump housing and a base member of the ventricular assist device; and
sensing a parameter of the blood prevailing in the gap.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein sensing the parameter prevailing in the gap includes sensing the parameter from one or more sensors mounted to at least one from the group consisting of the pump housing and the base member.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the sensor is one from the group consisting of a pressure sensor and an ultrasonic flow sensor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the parameter is one of from the group consisting of pressure and flow rate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising pumping the blood through an outflow cannula in communication with an outlet of the pump housing.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the outflow cannula is configured to at least partially extend through an aortic valve of the mammalian subject and the base member is connected to an apex of the heart.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the base member is connected to the apex of the heart with a sewing ring.