Systems and methods for controlling an implantable pump are provided. For example, the exemplary controller for controlling the implantable pump may only rely on the actuator's current measurement. The controller is robust to pressure and flow changes inside the pump head, and allows fast change of pump's operation point. For example, the controller includes, a two stage, nonlinear position observer module based on a reduced order model of the electromagnetic actuator. The controller includes an algorithm that estimates the position of the moving component of the implantable pump based on the actuator's current measurement and adjusts operation of the pump accordingly. Alternatively, the controller may rely on position measurements and/or velocity estimations.

Described herein are devices and methods for pumping blood in a patient in need of circulatory assistance or a replacement heart. Instead of providing a temporary solution for these patients, the devices may be permanently implanted. The devices linearly reciprocate a shuttle within a housing to move blood into and out of the housing, and rotate the shuttle to selectively direct the movement of blood into and out of a plurality of ports in the housing.

So as to be able to determine the position of a functional element as precisely as possible during the invasive use of a blood pump in a patient's body without the use of imaging methods, the blood pump is connected to a main sensor which records signals of the patient's heart, which are compared to other electrophysiological heart signals recorded by several sensors distributed on the body surface so as to allow the position of the blood pump to be determined by way of linking.

An actuation system includes a virtual or computer-modeled portion that is coupled to a physical portion. The virtual portion is a computer model that models or otherwise simulates a function or action, such as a physiological function or action, including for example an action potential, a calcium transient, and/or a chemical reaction. The computer model may model or simulate a chemical action, a mechanical action (such as movement of a wing) or any other action. The virtual portion drives or controls one or more physical actuators, which can be sized on a microscopic scale, such as on a nanometer scale. The actuation system can be used as or part of an artificial anatomical structure or organ, such as an artificial heart.

The holder for a curved duct portion of a tube pump comprises: a supply-side connector comprising a first cavity and a first plate connected together, the first cavity being adapted for receiving an end of the curved duct portion, and a discharge-side connector comprising a second cavity and a second plate connected together, the second cavity being adapted for receiving another end of the curved duct portion, where said connectors are movable the one with respect to the other between a storage configuration, in which the supply-side connector is positioned away to the discharge-side connector, and an operating configuration, in which the supply-side connector is close to the discharge-side connector and in which the first and second plate are engaged together substantially on a same plane.

Flow rate of a blood delivery pump of a blood treatment apparatus is determined and adjusted by connecting a fluid filled container with an extracorporeal blood line of the blood treatment apparatus, performing a priming step to prime the extracorporeal blood line by driving the blood delivery pump at a predetermined theoretical delivery rate to deliver fluid from the filled container into the extracorporeal blood line, determining the loss of fluid of the fluid filled container due to delivery of fluid into the extracorporeal blood line during priming, and determining a correction factor by comparison of a value for an amount of fluid delivered under the theoretical delivery rate with a value for the amount of fluid actually delivered.

An implantable heart help device adapted for implantation in a human patient is provided. The device comprising a fixating member adapted to fixate said device to a part of the human body comprising bone. Further a method of fixating an implantable heart help device in a human patient is provided. The method comprises the steps of: cutting the skin of said human patient, dissecting an area of the body comprising bone, and fixating said implantable heart help device to said part of the body comprising bone.

A mechanism for adjusting occlusion of a roller pump is described, wherein the mechanism is provided with: an elongated rod member oriented on a central axis of a pump head of the roller pump; and a drive member attached to the elongated rod member so as to move along the elongated rod member between a first position and a second position, wherein the drive member is connected to each roller block of a pump rotor of the pump head so that movement of the drive member by constant increments along the elongated rod member causes non-uniform and/or non-linear incremental movement of each roller block in a direction radial to the central axis of the pump head.

The invention relates to a catheter device, having a catheter (1), an actuation device (8) at a first end of the catheter and also a mechanical transmission element (9, 10) for transmitting a movement along the catheter to the actuation device, the actuation device having a coupling element (14) which is connected to the transmission element (9, 10) and can be actuated by the latter relative to the longitudinal direction of the catheter in a first degree of freedom, and also a conversion element (15) which can be actuated by the coupling element and which converts the actuation movement at least partially into a movement in a second degree of freedom. As a result, a combined movement at the distal end of the catheter can be produced particularly simply for compression and release of a functional element.

An implantable heart assist system includes a compressible pumping chamber including an inlet conduit to be placed in fluid connection with the descending thoracic aorta and an outlet conduit to be placed in fluid connection with the thoracic aorta; and a pump system comprising a first rigid member, a second rigid member positioned so that at least a portion of the pumping chamber may be positioned between the first and second rigid members, a drive system configured to cause the second rigid member to move toward or away from the first rigid member, and a controller in operative connection with the drive system and controlling the drive system, wherein movement of the second rigid member toward the first rigid member results in compresses the pumping chamber and movement of the second rigid member away from the first rigid member expands the pumping chamber.