Methods and apparatuses for determining operational parameters of a blood pump comprising a rotor which transports the blood are provided. The change in the behaviour of at least one first and one second operational parameter, independently from each other, of the pump, is determined. A determination of the flow through the pump and/or the difference in pressure across the pump and/or the viscosity of the blood takes into account the determined change in behaviour of the at least two operational parameters. A modelling for a dynamic model of the known quantities may be carried out and an estimation method using a Kalman filter may be used.

Various embodiments of a medical device for displacing a bodily fluid inside a patient's body and the related methods are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the medical device may include a source heat exchanger containing a heat generating in source and being configured to transfer heat from the heat generating source to a working fluid. The medical device also includes a hollow shaft comprising a plurality of permanent magnets, an impeller shroud disposed inside the hollow shaft, where the impeller shroud defines an internal passageway through which the bodily fluid passes through. The medical device further includes an impeller disposed inside the internal passageway of the impeller shroud, where the impeller is magnetically coupled to the permanent magnets of the hollow shaft. The medical device includes an expander comprising a rotary component mechanically coupled to the hollow shaft, where the expander being driven by the working fluid flowing from the source heat exchanger to rotate the hollow shaft. Rotation of the hollow shaft generates a rotary magnetic field in the hollow shaft to cause the impeller to rotate and displace the bodily fluid flowing through the internal passageway.

Disclosed herein is a fully implantable artificial heart. The use of flat helical springs to align and reciprocate a bellows structure allows the bellows to pump blood, the multiple solenoids with floating magnetized rods and permanent magnet assemblies held by the flat helical springs provide the power. The artificial heart pumps blood with virtually no friction and no parts to wear out. The use of solenoids advantageously move blood in a gentle, controllable manner.

There is described an artificial heart comprising a pump, the pump comprising a housing (10) defining a substantially spherical cavity and comprising four vascular connectors (15.sub.in, 15.sub.out, 15.sub.in, 15.sub.out), namely two inlet connectors (15.sub.in, 15.sub.in) and two outlet connectors (15.sub.out, 15.sub.out) to connect the pump to the pulmonary and systemic circulation. A rotatable disc (11) is mounted within the housing (10) and secured to rotate about a fixed axis (12). Two oscillating palettes (16a, 16b) are mounted to rotate about a mobile axis (17) movable within a plane perpendicular to the fixed axis (12), wherein said palettes (16a, 16b) are connected together and are arranged on both sides of the rotatable disc (11), in a diametrically opposed fashion, to create two pumping units comprising each two variable sized chambers (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) in fluid communication with one corresponding inlet and outlet connector respectively. The pump is provided with constrain means (21) configured to cause an oscillating movement of each oscillating palette (16a, 16b) relative to the rotatable disc (11), when the pump is operating, in order to produce simultaneously two suction strokes and two discharge strokes, so as to pump blood from the inlet connectors (15.sub.in, 15.sub.in) into one chamber (20a, 20c) of each pumping unit while expelling blood from the other chamber (20b, 20d) of each pumping unit through the outlet connectors (15.sub.out,15.sub.out). The pump further comprises a drive unit configured to operate the pump. According to the invention the drive unit is configured to produce a rotating magnetic field inside the pump housing (10).

A total artificial heart system includes at least one artificial ventricle coupled to (or capable of being coupled to) a chamber or a vessel of a human heart and at least one drive system coupled to the artificial ventricle. The drive system contains at least one implanted in a chest cavity electric motor. The drive system causes the artificial ventricle to contract and/or expand in a specific fashion dependent on a value inversely proportional to a rotational speed of a rotorcam and/or a height of the cam follower of the heart system.

A total artificial heart system includes at least one artificial ventricle coupled to (or capable of being coupled to) a chamber or a vessel of a human heart and at least one drive system coupled to the artificial ventricle. The drive system contains at least one implanted in a chest cavity electric motor. The drive system causes the artificial ventricle to contract and/or expand in a specific fashion dependent on a value inversely proportional to a rotational speed of a rotorcam and/or a height of the cam follower of the heart system.

A device for connecting an implantable heart prosthesis to the vascular system of a patient. The connecting device, intended for connecting a heart prosthesis, implantable in the pericardial cavity of a patient, to the vascular system of the patient, has an interface component equipped with a mitral interface element, a tricuspid interface element, an aortic interface element and a pulmonary interface element, which are intended for connection to the left atrium, the right atrium, the aorta and the pulmonary artery of the patient, each of the interface elements being provided with an orifice, and at least some of the interface elements having different orientations appropriate for taking up the orientations of the heart prosthesis and for respecting the anatomy of the patient, this connecting device making it possible in particular to fit the heart prosthesis in place more easily and more quickly.

A device for connecting an implantable heart prosthesis to the vascular system of a patient. The connecting device, intended for connecting a heart prosthesis, implantable in the pericardial cavity of a patient, to the vascular system of the patient, has an interface component equipped with a mitral interface element, a tricuspid interface element, an aortic interface element and a pulmonary interface element, which are intended for connection to the left atrium, the right atrium, the aorta and the pulmonary artery of the patient, each of the interface elements being provided with an orifice, and at least some of the interface elements having different orientations appropriate for taking up the orientations of the heart prosthesis and for respecting the anatomy of the patient, this connecting device making it possible in particular to fit the heart prosthesis in place more easily and more quickly.

A switchable pump device is provided and comprises a pump assembly including first and second pumps each having a separate inlet and outlet, an inner core or shell housing the pump assembly, and an outer shell housing the inner shell and having a pair of openings. The outer shell is interconnected to the inner shell such that the inner shell is movable relative to the outer shell to enable the inlet and outlet of a selected one of the first and second pumps to be aligned with the pair of openings in the outer shell to place the selected one of the first and second pumps in an operational condition while the other of the first and second pumps is positioned in an inoperative condition.

A switchable pump device is provided and comprises a pump assembly including first and second pumps each having a separate inlet and outlet, an inner core or shell housing the pump assembly, and an outer shell housing the inner shell and having a pair of openings. The outer shell is interconnected to the inner shell such that the inner shell is movable relative to the outer shell to enable the inlet and outlet of a selected one of the first and second pumps to be aligned with the pair of openings in the outer shell to place the selected one of the first and second pumps in an operational condition while the other of the first and second pumps is positioned in an inoperative condition.