A blood pump system includes a catheter, a pump housing disposed distal of a distal end of the catheter, a rotor positioned at least partially in the pump housing, a controller, and an electrode coupled a distal region of the blood pump. The electrode can be used to sense electrocardiogram (EKG) signals and transmit the signals to a controller of the blood pump. The operation of the blood pump can be adjusted based on the EKG signal and on cardiac parameters derived from the EKG signal. Further, the controller can determine a need for defibrillation or pacing of the patient's heart based on the signal and can administer treatment with electrical shocks to the heart via the electrode coupled to the blood pump. The use of an electrode with a blood pump already in place in the heart allows for more efficient and safer treatment of serious cardiac conditions.

A control device (100) for controlling the rotational speed (n.sub.VAD(t)) of a non-pulsatile ventricular assist device, VAD, (50) uses an event-based within-a-beat control strategy, wherein the control device is configured to alter the rotational speed of the VAD within the cardiac cycle of the assisted heart and to synchronize the alteration of the rotational speed with the heartbeat by at least one sequence of trigger signals (σ(t)) that is related to at least one predetermined characteristic event in the cardiac cycle. Further, a VAD (50) for assistance of a heart comprises the control device (100) for controlling the VAD, wherein the VAD is preferably a non-pulsatile rotational, for example catheter-based, blood pump.

A control device (100) for controlling the rotational speed (n.sub.VAD(t)) of a non-pulsatile ventricular assist device, VAD, (50) uses an event-based within-a-beat control strategy, wherein the control device is configured to alter the rotational speed of the VAD within the cardiac cycle of the assisted heart and to synchronize the alteration of the rotational speed with the heartbeat by at least one sequence of trigger signals (σ(t)) that is related to at least one predetermined characteristic event in the cardiac cycle. Further, a VAD (50) for assistance of a heart comprises the control device (100) for controlling the VAD, wherein the VAD is preferably a non-pulsatile rotational, for example catheter-based, blood pump.

Disclosed herein is an outflow graft assembly for an implantable blood pump. The outflow graft assembly includes a graft, a locking nut including a plurality of planar edges and a plurality of corners, and a U-shaped fixation clip. The U-shaped fixation clip includes a first flat segment including a first flexure including a first locking feature, a second flat segment including a second flexure including a second locking feature, an arcuate segment extending between the first flat segment and the second flat segment, and a lip including a first flat and a second flat. The U-shaped fixation clip is configured to engage the locking nut such that the first and second locking features contact associated corners of the plurality of corners and the first and second flats contact associated planar edges of the plurality of planar edges, thereby preventing rotation of the locking nut relative to the fixation clip.

An apparatus for a heart of a patient having a cardiac assist device adapted to be implanted into the patient to assist the heart with pumping blood. The apparatus has a sensor adapted to be implanted into the patient. The sensor in communication with the cardiac assist device and the heart which measures native volume of the heart. The apparatus has a first cardiac assist device and a second cardiac assist device tuned to maximize blood flow to the body of the patient, while resting the heart so the heart may recover function. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on admittance while the cardiac assist device. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on impedance.

An apparatus for a heart of a patient having a cardiac assist device adapted to be implanted into the patient to assist the heart with pumping blood. The apparatus has a sensor adapted to be implanted into the patient. The sensor in communication with the cardiac assist device and the heart which measures native volume of the heart. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on admittance while the cardiac assist device. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on impedance.

An apparatus for a heart of a patient having a cardiac assist device adapted to be implanted into the patient to assist the heart with pumping blood. The apparatus has a sensor adapted to be implanted into the patient. The sensor in communication with the cardiac assist device and the heart which measures native volume of the heart. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on admittance while the cardiac assist device. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on impedance.

An apparatus for a heart of a patient having a cardiac assist device adapted to be implanted into the patient to assist the heart with pumping blood. The apparatus has a sensor adapted to be implanted into the patient. The sensor in communication with the cardiac assist device and the heart which measures native volume of the heart. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on admittance while the cardiac assist device. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on impedance.

An apparatus for a heart of a patient having a cardiac assist device adapted to be implanted into the patient to assist the heart with pumping blood. The apparatus has a sensor adapted to be implanted into the patient. The sensor in communication with the cardiac assist device and the heart which measures native volume of the heart. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on admittance while the cardiac assist device. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on impedance.

Systems and methods for detecting suction events in blood pumps by monitoring pump motor current. A pump suction event is detected based on a comparison of a pulsatility index that is calculated based on a filtered pump motor current signal with a first predetermined threshold or based on a comparison of a calculated index associated with a normalized band-pass filtered pump motor current signal with a second predetermined threshold. A suction event is also detected based on comparisons of both the calculated pulsatility index and the calculated index associated with the normalized band-pass filtered pump motor current signal with respective first and second predetermined thresholds.