An implantable pump system is provided, suitable for use as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) system, having an implantable pump, an extracorporeal battery and a controller coupled to the implantable pump, and a programmer selectively periodically coupled to the controller to configure and adjust operating parameters of the implantable pump. The implantable pump includes a flexible membrane coupled to an actuator assembly that is magnetically engagable with electromagnetic coils, so that when the electromagnetic coils are energized, the actuator assembly causes wavelike undulations to propagate along the flexible membrane to propel blood from through the implantable pump. The controller may be programmed by a programmer to operate at frequencies and duty cycles that mimic physiologic flow rates and pulsatility while operating in an efficient manner that avoids thrombus formation, hemolysis and/or platelet activation.

The invention is about a next-generation blood pump that provides pulsatile blood flow, and has been developed for cardiopulmonary by-pass devices used for maintaining extracorporeal blood circulation during heart surgeries and the supportive devices of circulation system. This device is technically a sort of synchronous power-assisted motor employing direct driver technology. The mentioned blood pump contains a rotor rotating on a magnetic bearing without a shaft and through the helical wings placed into the rotor it provides pulsatile blood supply adequate for the body requirement synchronous with the ECG signals received from the patients. It provides a patient safer and controlled pulsatile blood flow while running at high efficiency.

Method and systems control a rotational speed of a blood pump during ventricular diastole. A method includes controlling a blood pump in accordance with a first segment operational mode. A controller monitors the blood flow rate through the blood pump. The controller determines, based on the blood flow rate, whether continued controlling of the blood pump per the first segment operational mode would result in the blood flow rate through the blood pump being less than a target minimum blood flow rate. In response to a determination that continued controlling of the blood pump per the first segment operational mode would result in the blood flow rate through the blood pump being less than the target minimum blood flow rate, the controller controls the rotational speed of the blood pump so that the blood flow rate through the blood pump is approximate to the target minimum blood flow rate.

Method and systems control a rotational speed of a blood pump during ventricular diastole. A method includes controlling a blood pump in accordance with a first segment operational mode. A controller monitors the blood flow rate through the blood pump. The controller determines, based on the blood flow rate, whether continued controlling of the blood pump per the first segment operational mode would result in the blood flow rate through the blood pump being less than a target minimum blood flow rate. In response to a determination that continued controlling of the blood pump per the first segment operational mode would result in the blood flow rate through the blood pump being less than the target minimum blood flow rate, the controller controls the rotational speed of the blood pump so that the blood flow rate through the blood pump is approximate to the target minimum blood flow rate.

Apparatus for use with a ventricular assist device that is assisting cardiac function of a biological subject, the apparatus including an electronic processing device that determines a flow rate of blood through the ventricular assist device, analyses the flow rate to determine a flow parameter value at least partially indicative of a change in the flow rate during diastole; and uses the flow parameter value to either derive at least one blood pressure parameter value at least partially indicative of a blood pressure in the biological subject or control the ventricular assist device.

A ventricular assist device includes a stent for placement within a cardiac artery and arranged for placement, the stent arranged to have an open configuration defining a flow path, a rotor sized to fit within the stent and arranged for percutaneous placement the flow path, the rotor including a surface disposed about a central portion and angled with respect to the flow path and having a first plurality of magnets. A collar is sized for placement about the cardiac artery and includes a stator. A power source is coupled to the stator, and the stator and the rotor are arranged to rotate the rotor about an axis. A timing control module controls a rotational speed of the rotor. Accordingly, the surface of the rotor is arranged to move blood along the flow path in response to rotation of the rotor.

A medical device includes an artificial contractile structure which may be advantageously used to assist the functioning of a hollow organ, an artificial contractile structure including at least one contractile element (100) adapted to contract an organ, in such way that the contractile element (100) is in a resting or in an activated position, at least one actuator designed to activate the contractile structure, and at least one source of energy for powering the actuator. The ratio “current which is needed to maintain the contractile element in its activated position and in its resting position/current which is needed to change the position of the contractile element” is less than 1/500, preferably less than 1/800, and more preferably less than 1/1000. The medical device further includes elements for reducing corrosion of the medical device.

A system for detecting a suction condition in an implantable blood pump including a controller in communication with the blood pump. The controller includes a control circuit configured to calculate a present value during a time period, the present value corresponding to a pump speed divided by a pump current, determine a plurality of data values during the time period based on the present value, and determine a suction detection threshold value using the plurality of data values. The control circuit is also configured to compare the present value during the time period to the suction detection threshold value and generate an alert when the present value exceeds the suction detection threshold value on a plurality of instances during the time period, the alert corresponding to a suction condition.

A method includes coupling, at least temporarily, a support member adjacent to a target tissue. The support member is configured to support the target tissue and to define a path along which a cutting device can move. The method includes moving the cutting device along the path defined by the support member to cut and/or dilate the target tissue. In some embodiments, the method optionally includes disposing a cannula of a device within the cut defined in target tissue. The cannula is coupled to the target tissue such that a lumen defined by the cannula is in fluid communication with a volume defined at least in part by the target tissue.

In one general aspect, a method includes measuring blood flow through a right rotary blood pump, measuring blood flow through a left rotary blood pump, and controlling a speed of one of the rotary blood pumps using a controller that calculates the speed of one of the rotary blood pumps based on the measured blood flow through the other rotary blood pump.