Next generation total artificial heart system

A total artificial heart system comprising:

• an artificial ventricle configured to be implanted in a chest cavity of a patient and to be coupled to at least one a blood vessel extending out of or arising from a heart, and a chamber of a heart;
• and
• a drive system having an electric motor that includes a stator assembly, a rotocam coupled to the stator assembly, and a cam follower coupled to the rotorcam,
• wherein the drive system is configured to be implanted in a chest cavity of a patient, to be coupled to the artificial ventricle, and configured to change a volume of the artificial ventricle by changing a height of the cam follower.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a cam-and-follower system that includes:
• a monolithic rotorcam configured to operate as both a rotor and a cam of the system and to rotate about a centerline, the monolithic rotorcam comprising at least two angled ramps circumferentially extending around a first axis of the monolithic rotorcam, an operational height of the cam of the system defined by a height of an angled ramp of the at least two angled ramps;
• and
• a cam follower that has a second axis of the cam follower and a dome having a center of curvature of the dome on the centerline,
• wherein:
• (18A) the at least two angled ramps comprise:
• an outer ramp having an outer ramp radius;
• and
• at inner ramp having an inner ramp radius that is smaller than the outer ramp radius;
• and/or
• (18B) the cam follower comprises at least two teeth extending from the dome toward the monolithic rotorcam, wherein each of the at least two teeth is dimensioned to contact a corresponding angled ramp of the at least two angled ramps when the cam-and-follower system is assembled.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a cam and follower system that includes:
• a monolithic rotorcam configured to operate as both a rotor and a cam of the system and to rotate about a centerline, the monolithic rotorcam having a first axis and comprising an angled cam ramp circumferentially extending around the first axis and including at least one contoured cam lobe extending along the first axis, said angled cam ramp having a first edge surface;
• and
• a cam follower having a second axis and a dome and comprising an angled cam follower ramp circumferentially extending around a perimeter of the dome and including at least one contoured cam follower lobe, said angled cam follower ramp having a second edge surface dimensioned to be substantially congruent with the first end surface,
• wherein the cam follower is configured to be mechanically coupled to the monolithic rotorcam when the cam-and-follower system is assembled such that in an axial separation between the first and second edge surfaces is substantially zero.