Flow controlled blood pump system
AssigneeThe Cleveland Clinic Foundation
InventorsWilliam A. Smith, Leonard A. R. Golding
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for pumping blood to assist or assume the cardiac function of a patient is characterized by a blood pump that exhibits a steep performance curve such that only small changes in pump flow occur for large changes in differential pressure across the pump. The pump therefore exhibits flow-limiting characteristics to protect the physiological system against harmful flow rates or pressures. Pump flow may also be limited by controlling the current provided to a driver from a power supply or by suitable restrictions within or external to the pump housing.
Claims14
A system for pumping blood comprising:
- a) a rotodynamic pump including:
- i) a housing defining a chamber and an inlet and outlet in fluid communication with the chamber;
- and
- ii) an impeller disposed within the chamber for urging fluid from the inlet toward the outlet;
- iii) the pump having a performance curve at a nominal operating speed of the pump, the performance curve relating changes in the pressure differential across the pump to changes in flow through the pump;
- b) a driver for imparting rotational motion to the impeller;
- c) a power supply for supplying power to the driver;
- d) a regulator for regulating the power supplied from the power supply to the driver;
- e) flow limiting characteristics that maintain the flow through the pump within predefined limits throughout a wide range of pressure differentials across the pump, wherein the pump further comprises an axial extension connected to the housing having a conical tip and wherein the impeller comprises a plurality of blades configured to accommodate the conical tip.
A system for pumping blood comprising:
- a) a rotodynamic pump including:
- i) a housing defining a chamber and an inlet and outlet in fluid communication with the chamber;
- and
- ii) an impeller disposed within the chamber for urging fluid from the inlet toward the outlet;
- iii) the pump having a performance curve at a nominal operating speed of the pump relating changes in the pressure differential across the pump to changes in flow through the pump, wherein the performance curve of the pump exhibits a change in flow of no more than 1 liter-per-minute for a change in pressure of 50 mm-Hg between the pump inlet and pump outlet;
- b) a driver for imparting rotational motion to the impeller
- c) a power supply for supplying power to the driver;
- d) a regulator for regulating the power supplied from the power supply to the driver;
- e) flow limiting characteristics that maintain the flow through the pump within predefined limits throughout a wide range of pressure differentials across the pump;
- f) means to vary the pump output performance curve, wherein the means to vary the pump output performance curve comprises a digital computer executing an algorithm that controls a set point according to measurement of pump input rpm, motor current, motor power, or a combination thereof;
- and
- wherein the pump further comprises an axial extension connected to the housing having a conical tip and wherein the impeller comprises a plurality of blades configured to accommodate the conical tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.