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Terumo Corporation

Alexander Medvedev

Leonard A R Golding

Alexander Massiello

In a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) a rotodynamic blood pump () is powered by a brushless DC motor (). A power supply () supplies power to the motor (). Three feedback channels, one for each of voltage, current, and motor speed lead to a microcontroller or microprocessor (). The three feedback waveforms are analyzed, and from these waveforms, motor input power, patient heart rate, current pump flow rate, and systemic pressure are determined. The microprocessor () then calculates a desired flow rate proportional to the patient heart rate. The microprocessor communicates a new power output to a commutation circuit (), which regulates power to the motor (). The pump () also includes safety checks that are prioritized over desired pump flow. These include prevention of ventricular suction, low pulsatility, minimum and maximum pump speed, minimum speed-relative pump flow, minimum absolute pump flow, minimum and maximum motor input power.

Chronic performance control system for rotodynamic blood pumps

A heart assist device, for example a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) including a blood pump, is controlled on the basis of a ratio of the pump's speed and the patient's heart rate. The patient's activity and a required cardiac assist level can be defined via the heart beat rate of the patient and a rotational speed of the LVAD pump. Controlling the pump of the heart assist device based on the pump speed and the patient's heart rate enables the heart assist device to respond to changes in the patient's activity level.

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Orange Village, OH, United States of America

Alexander Medvedev