Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods that employ a pump to assist or support blood flow. An apparatus for pumping blood may include a pump housing having an outer wall disposed about a longitudinal pump axis, and having an upstream end and a downstream end; a blood flow straightener having a plurality of fins and positioned in the upstream end of the pump housing and secured to the pump housing by the plurality of fins; a diffuser having a plurality of diffuser fins and positioned in the downstream end of the pump housing and secured to the pump housing by the plurality of diffuser fins; and an impeller positioned between the blood flow straightener and the diffuser, and including a plurality of impeller blades. The apparatus may further include a pump drive configured to impart a rotational motion to the impeller by applying a magnetic field.

A system for assisting a circulation of blood inside a body of a patient includes a pump including: a housing having an upstream portion and a downstream portion; an inducer positioned in the upstream portion of the housing, the inducer including one or more helically-wound inducer blades to rotate around a longitudinal axis of the pump; an impeller positioned downstream of the inducer in the housing, the impeller including one or more impeller blades to rotate around the longitudinal axis of the pump; and a diffuser positioned in the downstream portion of the housing, to direct blood through at least one aperture in a circumference of the housing.

A system for assisting a circulation of blood inside a body of a patient includes a pump including: a housing having an upstream portion and a downstream portion; an inducer positioned in the upstream portion of the housing, the inducer including one or more helically-wound inducer blades to rotate around a longitudinal axis of the pump; an impeller positioned downstream of the inducer in the housing, the impeller including one or more impeller blades to rotate around the longitudinal axis of the pump; and a diffuser positioned in the downstream portion of the housing, to direct blood through at least one aperture in a circumference of the housing.

This invention relates to a method and system for determining and/or tracking a heart function of a patient. wherein the heart function is estimated by combining information representative of an electrical, mechanical and/or hemodynamic heart function received from imaging, therapy and/or diagnosis systems or a patient database with real-time information representative of an electrical, mechanical and/or hemodynamic heart function received from a measuring device attached or implanted to the patient. The information and the real-time information from can be associated to update an evaluation of the heart function of the patient in real-time and thereby improve the heart function and possibly optimize its efficiency.

This invention relates to a method and system for determining and/or tracking a heart function of a patient. wherein the heart function is estimated by combining information representative of an electrical, mechanical and/or hemodynamic heart function received from imaging, therapy and/or diagnosis systems or a patient database with real-time information representative of an electrical, mechanical and/or hemodynamic heart function received from a measuring device attached or implanted to the patient. The information and the real-time information from can be associated to update an evaluation of the heart function of the patient in real-time and thereby improve the heart function and possibly optimize its efficiency.

Described herein are systems and methods for assessing a condition of a mechanical circulatory support device (MCSD). The systems and methods can be used for early detection of device malfunction. The system can include a sensing subsystem that can obtain from one or more sensors signals indicative of at least one of vibrations or acoustics of the MCSD in operation in the mammal. The system can also include a computing subsystem. The computing subsystem can receive the signals indicative of at least one of the vibrations or the acoustics of the MCSD in operation in the mammal. process the signals to identify at least one harmonic in the signals, and evaluate the condition of the MCSD using the at least one harmonic identified in the signals indicative of at least one of the vibrations or the acoustics of the MCSD in operation in the mammal.

Described herein are systems and methods for assessing a condition of a mechanical circulatory support device (MCSD). The systems and methods can be used for early detection of device malfunction. The system can include a sensing subsystem that can obtain from one or more sensors signals indicative of at least one of vibrations or acoustics of the MCSD in operation in the mammal. The system can also include a computing subsystem. The computing subsystem can receive the signals indicative of at least one of the vibrations or the acoustics of the MCSD in operation in the mammal. process the signals to identify at least one harmonic in the signals, and evaluate the condition of the MCSD using the at least one harmonic identified in the signals indicative of at least one of the vibrations or the acoustics of the MCSD in operation in the mammal.

The approach presented here relates to a determination appliance (100) for determining a viscosity of a fluid. The determination appliance (100) has at least one determination device (110) and a provisioning device (115). The determination device (110) is designed to determine the viscosity of the fluid and/or a rotational speed () of a blade wheel (205) for conveying the fluid by using at least one detected volume flow of the fluid and a detected pressure difference of the fluid. The provisioning device (115) is designed to provide or send a viscosity signal (130) representing the viscosity determined by the determination device (110).

The approach presented here relates to a determination appliance (100) for determining a viscosity of a fluid. The determination appliance (100) has at least one determination device (110) and a provisioning device (115). The determination device (110) is designed to determine the viscosity of the fluid and/or a rotational speed () of a blade wheel (205) for conveying the fluid by using at least one detected volume flow of the fluid and a detected pressure difference of the fluid. The provisioning device (115) is designed to provide or send a viscosity signal (130) representing the viscosity determined by the determination device (110).

A convertor (100) for converting the mechanical energy of the movement of the heart muscle, or of other moving organs, into electrical energy comprising two flexible blocks (7, 7), wherein a first and a second end of a plurality of extendable elements (1) are immovably connected on the first and on the second flexible blocks (7, 7). Each of the extendable elements (1) comprises a layer of triboelectric material and a hollow portion (6). Each of the plurality of the extendable elements (1) comprises a triboelectric spiral structure (3) that is mounted within the hollow portion (6), wherein the triboelectric spiral structure (3) comprises a plurality of twisted elongated elements (4) that are movable within the hollow portion (6) of the extendable elements (1). Each of the twisted elongated elements (4) has the shape of a rod and each of the twisted elongated elements (4) comprises a triboelectric material layer (2) and a conducting material layer (12).