The invention relates to a container (1, 1′, 1″) for a heart pump device (4, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 26) with a first receiving space (3) for a compressible and expandable heart pump (4), wherein the first receiving space is delimited on several sides, in particular on all sides, by one or more closure elements (5, 5′, 6, 6′ 6″) and is closed off to the outside for preventing a contacting of the heart pump, wherein the closure elements (5, 5′, 6, 6′ 6″) leave free an opening (7) for the passage of a catheter (8) from the outside into the first receiving space (3), wherein the diameter of the opening (7) is dimensioned such that the heart pump can pass this exclusively in a condition which is at least partly compressed compared to the expanded condition. For implantation, the heart pump in the container (1, 1′, 1″) can firstly be operated by trial in the container (1, 1′, 1″) whilst feeding a rinsing fluid and can then be pulled through the opening (7) amid simultaneous compression, into a sheath element (11).

Systems and devices for an updatable blood pump are disclosed herein. The blood pump can be part of a mechanical circulatory support system that can include a system controller and the blood pump. The blood pump can include a rotary motor and a control unit that can communicate with the system controller. The system controller can initiate the update process and can provide the update to the blood pump. Upon initiation of the update process, the control unit can stop the rotary motor. While the rotary motor is stopped, the blood pump can be updated. At the completion of the update, the rotary pump can be restarted.

Apparatus and methods are described, including apparatus (20) for implanting in a heart of a human subject. The apparatus includes an interatrial anchor (22) shaped to define an opening (26) having a diameter of 4-8 mm, and a bag (24) in fluid communication with the opening of the anchor. The apparatus is shaped to fit within a right atrium of the heart of the subject, and has a capacity of between 4 and 20 cm3. Other applications are also described.

A signal processing circuit for controlling operation of an implanted ventricular assist device comprising an input module for receiving one or more signals of a patient from one or more sensors. A processor for processing the received signals is included, the processor configured to compare a total blood output on a left side of the patient's heart with a total blood output on a right side of the patient's heart; determine at least one from the group consisting of the presence of fluid imbalance between the left and right sides of the patient's heart and the absence of fluid imbalance between the left and right sides of the patient's heart based on the comparison; and when the presence of fluid imbalance is determined, control the implanted ventricular device to restore fluid balance between the left and right sides of the patient's heart.

A rotary blood pump includes a casing defining a pumping chamber. The pumping chamber has a blood inlet and a tangential blood outlet. One or more motor stators are provided outside of the pumping chamber. A rotatable impeller is within the pumping chamber and is adapted to cause blood entering the pumping chamber to move to the blood outlet. The impeller has one or more magnetic regions. The impeller is radially constrained in rotation by magnetic coupling to one or more motor stators and is axially constrained in rotation by one or more hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces on the impeller.

Multi-cell battery packs can be made safer with certain features that mitigate the consequences of cell failure. Parameters of a cell are monitored to determine when the cell should be disconnected from the pack in case of a fault. The battery is reconfigured to continue operating in a safer mode. An over-charging prevention system reduces the maximum voltage that remaining battery pack can be charged to, so that the cells do not overcharge. Additional circuitry allows the disconnected cell to be periodically reconnected to the battery pack to determine if its conditions have sufficiently improved. The cells also include components for self-powering these cell functions while it is disconnected from the rest of the circuit.

The present invention provides an implantable cardiac compression device comprising: an inflatable cardiac compression jacket configured when inflated to directly compress a heart and assist in displacing blood therefrom, a channel that connects the inflatable cardiac compression jacket and an expandable fluid reservoir configured to contain a fluid when displaced compresses the inflatable cardiac compression jacket, and a fluid driver operably connected to the inflatable cardiac compression jacket and to the expandable fluid reservoir, wherein the fluid driver is configured to inflate the cardiac compression jacket and to deflate the expandable fluid reservoir during systole of the heart; said driver is further configured to deflate the cardiac compression jacket and to inflate the expandable fluid reservoir during diastole of the heart.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an implantable blood pump includes a housing defining a flow path, a rotor positioned within the flow path, and a motor including a stator, positioned outside of said housing, the stator including a length of silver wire, wherein the silver wire is not positioned within a hermetically sealed compartment once the blood pump is ready for implantation into a patient in need thereof. The present invention may also include a method of implanting the implantable blood pump including the step of implanting the blood pump within the patient and within or adjacent to the vasculature.

An implantable blood pump includes a control unit storing patient specific settings. The control unit is configured to store patient specific settings. The patient specific settings can be used to determine a target operating speed for the blood pump and/or a target operating mode for the blood pump. The patient specific settings can include at least one of an operating mode for the pump, a set speed for the pump, a lower speed limit for the pump, a patient hematocrit value, a patient hematocrit date, a patient blood density, and a periodic log rate for event and periodic data.

A wireless power system capable of transmitting power through the skin over distances ranging from a few inches to several feet includes an external transmitting coil assembly and a receiving coil assembly. A transmitting resonant coil and a receiving resonant coil are constructed as to have closely matched or identical resonant frequencies so that the magnetic field produced by the transmitting resonant coil is able to cause the receiving resonant coil to resonate strongly also, even when the distance between the two resonant coils greatly exceeds the largest dimension of either coil. The receiving resonant coil then creates its own local time varying magnetic field, which inductively produces a voltage to provide power to an active implantable medical device or implantable rechargeable battery.