Electrohydraulic ventricular assist device

A unified system for use in a ventricular assist device and for total implantation in a thorax of a patient for cannulation to the blood circulatory system to replace or assist a ventricle of a natural heart of the patient, said unified system comprising:

• an internal electronic controller for generating an actuating signal;
• a blood pumping means provided proximate to said internal electronic controller, said blood pumping means comprising:
• a blood pumping chamber comprising:
• a blood compartment having an inflow blood port and an outflow blood port for cannulation to the blood circulatory system;
• a fluid compartment for receiving a fluid;
• and
• a flexible membrane separating said blood compartment and said fluid compartment;
• a volume displacement chamber for receiving the fluid;
• a fluid conduit connecting said blood pumping chamber and said volume displacement chamber to allow flow of the fluid between said blood pumping chamber and said volume displacement chamber;
• and
• an actuating means, provided in said fluid conduit, for converting said actuating signal into a pulsating rhythmic displacement of the fluid between said blood pumping chamber and said volume displacement chamber through said fluid conduit and said actuating means;
• hermetic coupling means for providing said internal electronic controller with a supply voltage;
• and
• detecting means for detecting the status of said blood pumping chamber and accordingly generating a control signal to said internal electronic controller for synchronizing said actuating signal with the status of said blood pumping chamber;
• wherein said actuating means is provided proximate to said internal electronic controller, said blood pumping chamber and said volume displacement chamber so that said unified system has a shape with a convex back surface having a curvature compatible with curvatures of an internal human sagittal and transverse chest wall, and an overall size and geometry such that, when the unified system is implanted in the patient, said unified system is accommodated within the thorax with the back surface of said unified system adjacent the chest wall without adversely compressing adjacent organs, creating dead space or limiting chest closure.