The invention relates to an apparatus for exchanging material between blood and a gas/gas mixture, comprising a chamber (1) through which blood can flow and in which a plurality of material-permeable fiber tubes is provided, the gas/gas mixture being flowable through the fiber tubes, blood being flowable around the fiber tubes. At least one deformable element (9) is provided in the chamber (1) in addition to the fiber tubes, through which the gas/gas mixture can flow, this deformable element being deformable and restorable, in particular compressible out of a relaxed shape and restorable to a relaxed shape by pressure fluctuations acting on the at least one element (9) externally, in particular pressure fluctuations transmitted by the blood in the chamber (1).

An intra-aortic dual balloon driving pump catheter device having a catheter; a first balloon and a second balloon respectively surrounding the catheter, being arranged successively along the longitudinal direction of the catheter, wherein the position of the first balloon is placed at the distal end of the catheter, and the second balloon is placed immediately adjacent to the proximal end of the first balloon; the first balloon and the second balloon are periodically expanded to a dimension that nearly blocks the aortic blood flow and contracted to a dimension that does not prevent the blood flow from passing through; wherein the first balloon periodically inflates in diastole and deflates in systole working as a pump, while the second balloon conversely deflates in systole and inflates in diastole functioning as a valve, altogether leading to blood pumping from contracting ventricle and keeping driving forward ahead in the aorta.

An intra-aortic dual balloon driving pump catheter device having a catheter; a first balloon and a second balloon respectively surrounding the catheter, being arranged successively along the longitudinal direction of the catheter, wherein the position of the first balloon is placed at the distal end of the catheter, and the second balloon is placed immediately adjacent to the proximal end of the first balloon; the first balloon and the second balloon are periodically expanded to a dimension that nearly blocks the aortic blood flow and contracted to a dimension that does not prevent the blood flow from passing through; wherein the first balloon periodically inflates in diastole and deflates in systole working as a pump, while the second balloon conversely deflates in systole and inflates in diastole functioning as a valve, altogether leading to blood pumping from contracting ventricle and keeping driving forward ahead in the aorta.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for controlling ventricular assist devices are disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving at least one reference pump speed differential associated with a pump of a ventricular assist device; determining a filtered pump speed differential associated with the pump of a ventricular assist device; and adjusting, using a feedback based controller algorithm, current to the pump based on the at least one reference pump speed differential and the filtered pump speed differential. In some embodiments, the system includes a controller implemented using the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the controller is configured for receiving at least one reference pump speed differential associated with a pump of a ventricular assist device; determining a filtered pump speed differential associated with the pump of a ventricular assist device; and adjusting current to the pump based on the at least one reference pump speed differential and the filtered pump speed differential.

Disclosed are techniques to generate ideal or near ideal profiles for regulation of the volume of fluid flow in a drive system of a pump for an externally mechanically supported heart, pressure in or near the pump, or measured strain/strain rates of the supported heart, based on an estimate/measurement of the heart's size. A part of the techniques for regulation may focus on achieving mechanical synchrony with the intrinsic cyclic pump function of a partially functional heart. The techniques do not fundamentally rely on hemodynamic measurements to function. However, when hemodynamic measures are available, those measures can be fed to control algorithms to increase the efficacy of regulation to restore the heart's pump function.

Disclosed are techniques to generate ideal or near ideal profiles for regulation of the volume of fluid flow in a drive system of a pump for an externally mechanically supported heart, pressure in or near the pump, or measured strain/strain rates of the supported heart, based on an estimate/measurement of the heart's size. A part of the techniques for regulation may focus on achieving mechanical synchrony with the intrinsic cyclic pump function of a partially functional heart. The techniques do not fundamentally rely on hemodynamic measurements to function. However, when hemodynamic measures are available, those measures can be fed to control algorithms to increase the efficacy of regulation to restore the heart's pump function.

Disclosed are techniques to generate ideal or near ideal profiles for regulation of the volume of fluid flow in a drive system of a pump for an externally mechanically supported heart, pressure in or near the pump, or measured strain/strain rates of the supported heart, based on an estimate/measurement of the heart's size. A part of the techniques for regulation may focus on achieving mechanical synchrony with the intrinsic cyclic pump function of a partially functional heart. The techniques do not fundamentally rely on hemodynamic measurements to function. However, when hemodynamic measures are available, those measures can be fed to control algorithms to increase the efficacy of regulation to restore the heart's pump function.

Disclosed are techniques to generate ideal or near ideal profiles for regulation of the volume of fluid flow in a drive system of a pump for an externally mechanically supported heart, pressure in or near the pump, or measured strain/strain rates of the supported heart, based on an estimate/measurement of the heart's size. A part of the techniques for regulation may focus on achieving mechanical synchrony with the intrinsic cyclic pump function of a partially functional heart. The techniques do not fundamentally rely on hemodynamic measurements to function. However, when hemodynamic measures are available, those measures can be fed to control algorithms to increase the efficacy of regulation to restore the heart's pump function.

A method of operating an implantable blood pump and a pacing device, the method includes determining an end diastolic volume (EDV) and ejection fraction of one from the group consisting of the right ventricle and the left ventricle at a predetermined pump set speed. An average flow rate based on the predetermined pump set speed is determined. A target heart rate based at least in part on the determined EDV, ejection fraction, and average flow rate is determined. A lower rate for the pacing device is determined, the pacing device being in electrical communication with a chamber of the heart. The chamber of the heart is paced when a measured heart rate drops below the lower rate.

An intra-aortic dual balloon driving pump catheter device having a catheter; a first balloon and a second balloon respectively surrounding the catheter, being arranged successively along the longitudinal direction of the catheter, wherein the position of the first balloon is placed at the distal end of the catheter, and the second balloon is placed immediately adjacent to the proximal end of the first balloon; the first balloon and the second balloon are periodically expanded to a dimension that nearly blocks the aortic blood flow and contracted to a dimension that does not prevent the blood flow from passing through; wherein the first balloon periodically inflates in diastole and deflates in systole working as a pump, while the second balloon conversely deflates in systole and inflates in diastole functioning as a valve, altogether leading to blood pumping from contracting ventricle and keeping driving forward ahead in the aorta.