Abiomed Cardiovascular, Inc.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Walker Magnetics Group, Inc.

Trisolar Corp.

Alan R Millner

Fredric L Milder

Meir Rosenberg

Robert T Kung

Frederick Williams Sarles

Ronald W Matlin

Jacob H Barak

A blood pump having a toroidal shaped chamber concentrically positioned around a cylindrically shaped hydraulic pump. The toroidal chamber has two toroidal shaped portions, one portion having a substantially rigid external wall and the other having an external wall formed of a flexible membrane. The chamber has an inlet and output port suitable for connection to a blood flow supply. The flexible wall portion of the toroidal chamber is enclosed within a hydraulic chamber, fluidically coupled to the hydraulic pump. The hydraulic pump is controlled so that an increase of pressure in the hydraulic chamber results in a decrease of volume in the toroidal chamber, thus providing for pumping of the blood through that portion of the chamber. The toroidal shape provides for optimal non-coagulating flow, while the rigid wall of the chamber, together with the flexible membrane provide for membrane motion along only one axis, normal to the circumference of the toroid, preventing damage to the membrane. The blood flow inlet port is positioned to direct fluid in a tangential direction against the perimeter wall of the toroid.

Blood pump

A vascular connector has a rough surfaced skirt which is trimmed to a size for surgical attachment, and a smooth central tube centrally extending through the skirt to a point upstream of the rough surface. A collar centrally affixed to the skirt releasably engages the tube, which in turn may be fabricated as a permanently attached input conduit of a total artificial heart. For installing the connectors, a skeletal frame fixture secures the central tubes or collars of plural connectors in defined positions corresponding to the attachment ports of the intended pump device.

Surgical cuff

In the magnetic chuck control disclosed herein, the chuck winding is selectively energized in one direction or the other through respective triggerable semiconductor current switching devices. Successively reducing current levels are applied in successive phases of operation, the polarity of the current being reversed in successive phases. During a first portion of each phase the device is triggered to apply a corresponding preselectable voltage. During a second portion of each phase the switching devices are triggered quite late to provide an average voltage which opposes the current flow which was induced during the first portion thereby to quickly reduce the level of current flowing in the winding. The current level is sensed to generate a control signal representative thereof and a sequencing means, responsive to the control signal, operates when the current in the winding falls below a preselected value during the latter portion of each phase thereby to terminate the late energization portion and to initiate the application of current in the reverse direction thereby instituting the next phase in the demagnetizing sequence.

Magnetic chuck controller

Coupling a solar array to a device with fluctuating power requirements through a mechanical energy accumulator to smooth power demand.

Smoothing electrical energy output with mechanical accumulator

Two parallel rings are secured to a rotating shaft. A stationary central ring is located between the other two rings, creating parallel air gaps. The central ring includes a radially magnetized permanent magnet creating parallel magnetic circuits across the air gaps. Conductive coils are located on either side of the permanent magnet and arranged to carry current in the same direction. When energized by a control circuit, the conductors create a magnetic field that adds to the magnetic field across one gap and subtracts from the field across the other, providing an axial force on the shaft.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, MA, United States of America

Alan R Millner