Method of and apparatus for automatically controlling heart-synchronized circulating pumps

In a process for the automatic regulation of the mechanical support of heart circulation by way of the blood pressure, the steps of

• determining the heart frequency from an EKG of a patient,
• deriving an uncritical pumping impulse sequence,
• storing by way of several heart signals the characteristic values of the blood pressure, measured beat by beat,
• a heart pump being operated after switching on with the uncritical pulses supplied,
• interrupting by means of a time or pulse controlled measuring cycle transmitter said heart pump automatically for at least one and no more than several operating cycles in order to obtain (a) standard and (b) theoretical values of blood pressure produced by the heart without the aid of the pump,
• comparing stored preceding characteristic values of the blood pressure with the actual ones, and
• applying the comparative values to a regulator to cause a step by step enlargement of the operating cycle of the pump up to a rated value determined from the stored characteristic values of the blood pressure and comparing rhythm, frequency and amplitude of the actual characteristic values by way of a control system with the previously given standard values, the support of the circulation becoming effective precisely after the closure of the valves and the systolic pressure peak becomes minimal,
• whereby considerable deviations from the standard values cause the blocking first of all of the regulator and in case of a longer duration of the deviations also of that of the pump.

Apparatus for automatically controlling a heart synchronized circulating pump to control a patient's EKG and pressure parameters, said apparatus comprising, means coupling a heart sensor system to the body of a human patient whose heart is to be assisted by said pump and producing heart signals corresponding thereto, means for amplitude discriminating said heart signals, a period duration meter connected in series with said discriminator, a calculator connected to said meter for calculating an uncritical pumping pulse sequence, inlet means for the course of the blood pressure of the circulation, a pressure analyzer means connected in series with said inlet for determining the characteristic values of the blood pressure, means connecting the output of said analyzer over several heart cycles to said calculator, control line means for transferring the uncritical pumping impulses delivered by said calculator to a pump, a regulator connected to said pump, means connecting said calculator to said regulator for regulation of the operating cycles of said pump, a measuring cycle transmitter, circuit closer means for activating said measuring cycle transmitter, means connecting said amplitude discriminator with said measuring cycle transmitter, means connecting said measuring cycle transmitter both to said pump and said calculator, whereby for the control of the patient's EKG and pressure parameters a control system is provided and in that outlet lines both said regulator and said pump.