Other

World Heart Corporation

University of Utah Research Foundation

University of Virginia Patent Foundation

Medquest Products, Inc.

James W Long

Don B Olsen

Gill Brent Bearnson

Paul E Allaire

Pratap S Khanwilkar

Eric H Maslen

Jim Lee

James A Malmstrom

James F Antaki

Willem J Kolff

Chen Chen

Jed C Ludlow

Anthony J Leone

Phillip J Miller

John W Holfert

Brad E Paden

Donald B Olsen

Jesse Knight Hubbard

Yvo M Smulders

Michael Baloh

Herb Chen

Dave B Paden

John Barr

Karl Nelson

Paul D Diegel

Tim Maher

Raymond A Leone

Ron Ness

There is disclosed apparatus and methods for providing a reserve power source for a ventricular assist device. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a primary power source for powering the device, and a controller housing having a reserve battery for powering the device when the primary power source provides inadequate power, and the controller housing configured for use externally of the patient with a percutaneous cable to the device. In another embodiment, a method includes powering the device with a primary power source, monitoring power provided to the device, powering the device when the power is monitored as inadequate to the device with a reserve power source disposed within a controller housing, the device disposed subcutaneously within a patient, the controller housing disposed externally of the patient, and the device and the controller housing connected by a percutaneous cable. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Wearable VAD controller with reserve battery

There are disclosed apparatus and methods for replacing a percutaneous cable in connection with a vascular device. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a distal disconnect coupler, a distal connector portion of the cable configured for removable connection with the distal disconnect coupler, and a connector cap configured for removable connection with the distal disconnect coupler and for tunneling through skin and tissue. In one embodiment, a method of repositioning a percutaneous cable in connection with a vascular device includes providing the cable with a distal disconnect coupler, disconnecting the cable at the distal disconnect coupler, attaching a connector cap to the distal disconnect coupler, removing the percutaneous cable from a first exit site, tunneling the connector cap together with the distal disconnect coupler through skin and tissue to form a new exit site, disconnecting the connector cap, and connecting the cable to the distal disconnect coupler.

Implantable VAD with replaceable percutaneous cable

An apparatus and method for a centrifugal fluid pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids, which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is entirely supported by an integral combination of permanent magnets and electromagnetic bearings and rotated by an integral motor, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing of impeller position, velocity or acceleration using a self-sensing method and physiological control algorithm for motor speed and pump performance based upon input from the electromagnetic bearing currents and motor back emf&mdash;all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Hybrid magnetically suspended and rotated centrifugal pumping apparatus and method

An inventive blood pump in accordance with this invention includes a housing that has inlet and outlet ports for receiving and discharging blood. A rotor is positioned in the housing's interior for pumping blood between the housing's inlet and outlet ports, with the rotor being capable of motion in three translational and three rotational axes. An assembly for magnetically suspending and rotating the rotor in a contact-free manner with respect to the housing includes only one electromagnetic bearing that actively controls motion of the rotor with respect to one axis selected from the rotor's three translational and three rotational axes, an electromagnetic motor that actively drives motion of the rotor with respect to one of its three rotational axes, and magnetic bearings for passively controlling motion of the rotor with respect to the remaining four of its translational and rotational axes. The inventive blood pump can also be incorporated into an artificial heart.

Pump having a magnetically suspended rotor with one active control axis

An apparatus and method for a centrifugal pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is electromagnetically supported and rotated, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing and control algorithms&mdash;all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Electromagnetically suspended and rotated centrifugal pumping apparatus and method

An apparatus and method for a centrifugal fluid pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids, which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is entirely supported by an integral combination of permanent magnets and electromagnetic bearings and rotated by an integral motor, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing of impeller position, velocity or acceleration using a self-sensing method and physiological control algorithm for motor speed and pump performance based upon input from the electromagnetic bearing currents and motor back emf--all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Hybrid magnetically suspended and rotated centrifugal pumping apparatus

A driveway guard for installation across a driveway to prevent playthings from going into the street. The driveway guard includes a pair of posts, a net with an apron, guy lines, tent pegs and assemblies for connecting the net to the posts. The net is long enough to span a two-car driveway and has a dividing strip separating the net into two net portions. One of the net portions has a length for spanning a one-car driveway. A pair of belts are attached to the dividing strip. To install the driveway guard across a two-car driveway, the entire length of the net is suspended across the driveway between the posts, which are staked and guyed into the ground on opposite sides of the driveway. The apron engages the driveway to prevent objects from rolling under the net into the street. For a one-car driveway, the net is rolled up from one end to the dividing strip and the belts are run around the roll and buckled. The one-car net portion is then suspended across the driveway. For storing and carrying the net, the net is rolled up from both ends to the dividing strip and the belts are buckled around the two rolls. A handle may be attached to the dividing strip to facilitate carrying the net.

Apparatus for suspension across a driveway to keep objects from entering

A ventricle assist device for placement within a living body and including a self contained drive motor for generating pumping action with respect to a hydraulic pumping fluid. The ventricle assist device includes a ventricle having a blood chamber and a pumping chamber and an interconnect means coupled to the pumping chamber of the ventricle for receiving and displacing hydraulic fluid. A separate volume displacement chamber is attached to the interconnect means and provides a reservoir for excess hydraulic fluid for storage during diastole. A fluid pump and drive motor is positioned within the volume displacement chamber and connected at the interconnect means to supply the required pumping action for transfer of hydraulic fluid to and from the pumping chamber. Placement of the fluid pump and drive motor within the volume displacement chamber provides enhanced dissipation of heat from the energy conversion system and improved performance and durability.

Ventricle assist device with volume displacement chamber

A method for filtering gas borne particles using a filter medium (13) in contact with a screen (14) composed of polymeric strands (30, 31) is described. The method is characterized by the fact that the filter medium flutters on the surface of the screen because of flow of the gas along the surface of the filter medium to generate an electrostatic charge in the medium which attracts the particles to the filter medium. Particles 0.1 micron and larger in the gas can be removed by the method.

Gas borne particle filtering method

A gas borne particle filtering apparatus having a filter medium (13) with inlet and outlet openings (11, 12) in a staggered sawtooth cross-sectional configuration (140, 141) in a casing (10) for the filter medium positioned such that the gas passes along and between the sawteeth on both sides of the filter medium is described. A screened belt or support (14) for the filter medium is described. The apparatus is particularly suited to cleaning heated or cooled air in a confined work space in a factory containing small micron sized particles so that the air can be recycled.

Gas borne particle filtering apparatus

A generally cylindrical member and a vertically extending H-member with mounting brackets for fixed mounting relative to a support member such as a piling in a boat docking area are provided, the H-member is fixed as by bolts in a vertical relation to the side of a piling which would normally contact a boat, docked adjacent thereto. The cylindrical member includes a normally deformed T-slot vertically along a vertical inner side thereof for frictional sliding engagement over the outer T-portion of the H-member. One or more of the cylindrical members may be supported in an end to end relation to extend to any desired depth in the water and distance above the water surface on a single elongated H-member to accommodate the depth of the water as well as the extremes of tidal flow and wave action in any particular locale.

Dockside protective device for boats

Growing community of inventors

Holladay, UT, United States of America

James W Long