An external transmitter inductive coil can be provided in, on, or with a belt designed to be placed externally around a part of a body of a patient. An implantable device (such as a VAD or other medical device) that is implanted within the patient's body has associated with a receiver inductive coil that gets implanted within that part of the patient's body along with the device. The externally-located transmitter inductive coil inductively transfers electromagnetic power into that part of the body and thus to the receiver inductive coil. The implanted receiver inductive coil thus wirelessly receives the inductively-transferred electromagnetic power, and operates the implant.

A method and apparatus for long-term assisting the left ventricle of a heart to pump blood is disclosed which includes at least one transluminally deliverable pump and a transluminally deliverable support structure which secures the at least one pump within the aorta for long-term use.

A method of managing multiple power sources for an implantable blood pump includes operating the implantable blood pump with both power from an internal battery, the internal battery being disposed within an implantable controller and in communication with the implantable blood pump, and with transcutaneous energy transfer system (TETS) power in communication with the implantable blood pump, if TETS power is available.

A method of managing a speed of implantable blood pump. The implantable blood pump is in communication with an internal battery and a transcutaneous energy transfer system (TETS). The method includes starting the pump at a programmed set speed. The speed of the pump is decreased from the programmed set speed to a minimum set speed if either a capacity of the internal battery is less than a predetermined reserve level and TETS power is unavailable, or there is insufficient TETS power to maintain the programmed set speed. The speed of the pump is progressively decreased from the programmed set speed if there is insufficient power to maintain the programmed set speed.

A method of managing a speed of implantable blood pump. The implantable blood pump is in communication with an internal battery and a transcutaneous energy transfer system (TETS). The method includes starting the pump at a programmed set speed. The speed of the pump is decreased from the programmed set speed to a minimum set speed if either a capacity of the internal battery is less than a predetermined reserve level and TETS power is unavailable, or there is insufficient TETS power to maintain the programmed set speed. The speed of the pump is progressively decreased from the programmed set speed if there is insufficient power to maintain the programmed set speed.

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.

Disclosed are systems and methods for use of an inductive link for a communication channel in a transcutaneous energy transfer system. An example system may include a resonant circuit associated with an external primary, a power transistor connected to the resonant circuit and configured to drive the resonant circuit with a first time-varying electrical signal having a frequency, and a power driver connected to the power transistor that is configured to set the frequency of the first time-varying electrical signal to a resonant frequency to enable power transfer from the external primary to an implanted secondary. The example system may further include a communication driver operatively connected to the power transistor and configured to encode the first time-varying electrical signal with a data signal by modulating an attribute of the time-varying electrical signal as electrical power is transferred from the external primary to the implanted secondary.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for controlling wireless power transfer systems. A wireless power transfer system includes a transmitter driven by a power source and a transmit controller, wherein the transmitter is configured to control delivery of wireless power, and a receiver inductively coupled to the transmitter, the receiver configured to receive the wireless power from the transmitter and deliver the received wireless power to a load. The receiver includes receiver electronics configured to determine a Thevenin equivalent impedance of the wireless power transfer system, determine a Thevenin equivalent source voltage of the wireless power transfer system, and control, based on the determined Thevenin equivalent impedance and the determined Thevenin equivalent source voltage, an ideal source voltage of the receiver to vary the amount of the wireless power transferred from the transmitter to the receiver.

An external transmitter inductive coil can be provided in, on, or with a belt designed to be placed externally around a part of a body of a patient. An implantable device (such as a VAD or other medical device) that is implanted within the patient's body has associated with a receiver inductive coil that gets implanted within that part of the patient's body along with the device. The externally-located transmitter inductive coil inductively transfers electromagnetic power into that part of the body and thus to the receiver inductive coil. The implanted receiver inductive coil thus wirelessly receives the inductively-transferred electromagnetic power, and operates the implant.

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.