Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (c.h.u.v.)

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois

Vincent Berruex

Piergiorgio Tozzi

Jonathan Emery

Francois Avellan

Audrey Maertens

Tozzi Piergiorgio

Jonathan Emry

François Avellan

There is described an artificial heart comprising a pump, the pump comprising a housing () defining a substantially spherical cavity and comprising four vascular connectors (), namely two inlet connectors () and two outlet connectors () to connect the pump to the pulmonary and systemic circulation. A rotatable disc () is mounted within the housing () and secured to rotate about a fixed axis (). Two oscillating palettes () are mounted to rotate about a mobile axis () movable within a plane perpendicular to the fixed axis (), wherein said palettes () are connected together and are arranged on both sides of the rotatable disc (), in a diametrically opposed fashion, to create two pumping units comprising each two variable sized chambers () in fluid communication with one corresponding inlet and outlet connector respectively. The pump is provided with constrain means () configured to cause an oscillating movement of each oscillating palette () relative to the rotatable disc (), when the pump is operating, in order to produce simultaneously two suction strokes and two discharge strokes, so as to pump blood from the inlet connectors () into one chamber () of each pumping unit while expelling blood from the other chamber () of each pumping unit through the outlet connectors (). The pump further comprises a drive unit configured to operate the pump. According to the invention the drive unit is configured to produce a rotating magnetic field inside the pump housing ().

Artificial heart and its drive unit

Growing community of inventors

Lausanne, Switzerland

Vincent Berruex