Method of balloon pumping and a balloon pump driving apparatus

Abstract

A balloon pumping method of inflating and deflating a balloon includes the steps of setting a pressure in the balloon at a first pressure value, which is higher than a minimum pressure value and is substantially equal to or lower than a maximum pressure value, when the balloon is shifted from a deflated condition to an inflated condition, and setting the pressure in the balloon at a second pressure value, which is substantially equal to or higher than the minimum pressure value and lower than the first pressure value, when the balloon is estimated to have completely inflated at the first pressure value.

1 . A balloon pumping method of inflating and deflating a balloon in a blood vessel at a predetermined timing comprising the steps of: 
 setting a pressure in the balloon at a first pressure value, which is higher than a minimum pressure value for maintaining an inflated condition and is substantially equal to or lower than a maximum pressure value for maintaining the inflated condition, when the balloon is shifted from a deflated condition to the inflated condition; and    decreasing the pressure in the balloon to a second pressure value, which is substantially equal to or higher than the minimum pressure value and lower than the first pressure value, after the balloon is estimated to have completely inflated at the first pressure value.    
   
   
       2 . A balloon pumping method of inflating and deflating a balloon in a blood vessel at a predetermined timing comprising the steps of: 
 setting a pressure in the balloon at a third pressure value, which is lower than a maximum pressure value for maintaining a deflated condition and is substantially equal to or higher than a minimum pressure value for maintaining the deflated condition, when the balloon is shifted from an inflated condition to the deflated condition; and    increasing the pressure in the balloon to a fourth pressure value, which is substantially equal to or lower than the maximum pressure value and higher than the third pressure value, after the balloon is estimated to have completely deflated at the third pressure value.    
   
   
       3 . A balloon pump driving apparatus connected to a balloon in a blood vessel and adapted to inflate and deflate the balloon at a predetermined timing by applying a predetermined pressure to the balloon comprising: 
 inflation judging means for judging a timing for inflating the balloon based upon an inputted bio signal;    first inflation pressure applying means for applying a first inflation pressure to the balloon at an appropriate timing judged by the inflation judging means, the first inflation pressure being higher than a minimum pressure value at which the balloon is maintained at an inflated condition;    complete inflation estimating means for estimating whether the balloon has completely inflated by applying the first inflation pressure to the balloon by the first inflation pressure applying means; and    second inflation pressure applying means for applying a second inflation pressure to the balloon when the complete inflation estimating means estimates that the balloon has completely inflated, the second inflation pressure being substantially equal to or higher than the minimum pressure value and lower than the first inflation pressure,    wherein the pressure in the balloon is decreased.    
   
   
       4 . A balloon pump driving apparatus connected to a balloon inserted in to a blood vessel and adapted to inflate and deflate the balloon at a predetermined timing by applying a predetermined pressure to the balloon comprising: 
 deflation judging means for judging a timing for deflating the balloon based upon an inputted bio signal;    first deflation pressure applying means for applying a first deflation pressure to the balloon at an appropriate timing judged by the deflation judging means, the first deflation pressure being lower than a maximum pressure value at which the balloon is maintained at a deflated condition;    complete deflation estimating means for estimating whether the balloon has completely deflated by applying the first deflation pressure by the first deflation pressure applying means; and    second deflation pressure applying means for applying a second deflation pressure to the balloon when the complete deflation estimating means estimates that the balloon has completely deflated, the second deflation pressure being substantially equal to or lower than the maximum pressure value and higher than the first deflation pressure.    
   
   
       5 . A balloon pump driving apparatus comprising: 
 a pressure accumulator connected to a balloon in a blood vessel and adapted to accumulate a pressure to be supplied to the balloon at a predetermined timing;    a pressure control valve disposed between the pressure accumulator and the balloon; and    means for controlling the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator and an open/closed condition of the pressure control valve,    wherein the means for controlling performs;    a first inflation pressure control for controlling the pressure accumulator so as to set the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator at a first inflation pressure, the first inflation pressure being higher than a minimum pressure value at which the balloon is maintained at an inflated condition;    an inflation-time valve opening control for connecting the pressure accumulator with the balloon by opening the pressure control valve after accumulating the first inflation pressure in the pressure accumulator through the first inflation pressure control;    a time judgment control for judging whether an opening period of the pressure control valve has reached a first predetermined period;    an inflation-time intermediate valve closing control for closing the pressure control valve when the opening period of the pressure control valve is judged to be have reached the first predetermined period by the time judgment control;    a pressure decrease control for decreasing the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator when the opening period of the pressure control valve is judged to have reached the predetermined period by the time judgment control;    a complete inflation estimating control for estimating whether the balloon has completely inflated;    an inflation-time intermediate valve opening control for opening the pressure control valve when the balloon is estimated to have completely inflated by the complete inflation estimating control; and    an inflation-time valve closing control for closing the pressure control valve in a second predetermined time set at a time value at which the pressure in the balloon is expected to become higher than a minimum pressure value and lower than the first inflation pressure after opening the pressure control valve by the inflation-time intermediate valve opening control, the minimum pressure value at which the balloon is maintained under the inflated condition.    
   
   
       6 . A balloon pump driving apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the means for controlling performs a correcting control for correcting the second predetermined time based upon the pressure applied to the balloon after closing the pressure control valve by the inflation-time valve closing control.  
   
   
       7 . A balloon pump driving apparatus comprising: 
 a pressure accumulator connected to a balloon inserted in a blood vessel and adapted to accumulate a pressure to be supplied to the balloon at a predetermined timing;    a pressure control valve disposed between the pressure accumulator and the balloon; and    means for controlling the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator and an open/closed condition of the pressure control valve,    wherein the means for controlling performs;    a first deflation pressure control for controlling the pressure accumulator so as to set the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator at a first deflation pressure, the first deflation pressure being lower than a maximum pressure value at which the balloon is maintained at a deflated condition;    a deflation-time valve opening control for connecting the pressure accumulator with the balloon by opening the pressure control valve after accumulating the first deflation pressure in the pressure accumulator through the first deflation pressure control;    a complete deflation estimating control for estimating whether the balloon has completely deflated;    a pressure increase control for increasing the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator when the balloon is estimated to have completely deflated by the complete deflation estimating control;    a deflation pressure estimating control for estimating whether the pressure in the balloon has reached a predetermined pressure being lower than the maximum pressure and higher than the first deflation pressure; and    a deflation valve closing control for closing the pressure control valve when the pressure in the balloon has reached the predetermined pressure by the deflation pressure estimating control.    
   
   
       8 . A balloon pump driving apparatus comprising: 
 a pressure accumulator connected to a balloon inserted in a blood vessel and adapted to accumulate a pressure to be supplied to the balloon at a predetermined timing;    an auxiliary reservoir;    a pressure control valve disposed between the pressure accumulator and the balloon;    a first connecting passage connecting the auxiliary reservoir tank with the balloon;    a first auxiliary switching valve disposed in the first connecting passage; and    means for controlling the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator, an open/closed condition of the pressure control valve, and an open/closed condition of the first auxiliary switching valve,    wherein the means for controlling performs;    a first inflation pressure control for controlling the pressure accumulator so as to set the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator at a first inflation pressure, the first inflation pressure being higher than a minimum pressure value at which the balloon is maintained at an inflated condition;    an inflation-time valve opening control for connecting the pressure accumulator with the balloon by opening the pressure control valve after accumulating the first inflation pressure in the pressure accumulator through the first inflation pressure control;    a time judgment control for judging whether an opening period of the pressure control valve has reached a first predetermined period;    an inflation-time intermediate valve closing control for closing the pressure control valve when the opening period of the pressure control valve is judged to be have reached the first predetermined period by the time judgment control;    a pressure decrease control for decreasing the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator when the pressure control valve is closed by the inflation-time intermediate valve closing control;    a complete inflation estimating control for estimating whether the balloon has completely inflated;    an inflation-time intermediate valve opening control for setting the pressure in the balloon higher than the minimum pressure and lower than the first inflation pressure by establishing a communication between the auxiliary reservoir tank and the balloon by opening the first auxiliary switching valve when the balloon is estimated to have completely inflated by the complete inflation estimating control, the pressure in the auxiliary reservoir tank having been set at a second inflation pressure;    an inflation-time valve closing control for interrupting the communication between the auxiliary reservoir tank and the balloon by closing the first auxiliary switching valve in a predetermined period of time after opening the first auxiliary switching valve by the inflation-time intermediate valve opening control;    an auxiliary reservoir pressure setting control for setting the pressure in the auxiliary reservoir tank at a predetermined pressure.    
   
   
       9 . A balloon pump driving apparatus comprising: 
 a pressure accumulator connected to a balloon in a blood vessel and adapted to accumulate a pressure to be supplied to the balloon at a predetermined timing;    a pressure control valve disposed between the pressure accumulator and the balloon;    a first connecting passage connecting the auxiliary reservoir and the balloon;    a first auxiliary switching valve disposed in the first connecting passage; and    means for controlling the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator, an open/closed condition of the pressure control valve, and an open/closed condition of the first auxiliary switching valve,    wherein the means for controlling performs;    a first deflation pressure control for controlling the pressure accumulator so as to set the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator at a first deflation pressure, the first deflation pressure being lower than a maximum pressure value at which the balloon is maintained at a deflated condition;    a deflation-time valve opening control for connecting the pressure accumulator with the balloon by opening the pressure control valve after accumulating the first deflation pressure in the pressure accumulator through the first deflation pressure control;    a complete deflation estimating control for estimating whether the balloon has completely deflated;    a deflation-time intermediate valve opening control for setting the pressure in the balloon to be lower than the maximum pressure and higher than the first deflation pressure by establishing a communication between the auxiliary reservoir tank and the balloon by opening the first auxiliary switching valve while the pressure control valve is opened when the balloon is estimated to have completely deflated by the complete deflation estimate control, the pressure in the auxiliary reservoir tank having been set at a second deflation pressure;    a deflation-time valve closing control for interrupting the communication between the pressure accumulator and the balloon by closing the pressure control valve in a predetermined period of time after opening the first auxiliary switching valve by the deflation-time intermediate valve opening control;    a pressure increase control for increasing the pressure accumulated in the pressure accumulator after closing the pressure control valve by the deflation-time valve closing control;    a deflation-time intermediate valve closing control for interrupting the communication between the auxiliary reservoir tank and the balloon by closing the first auxiliary switching valve substantially at a same time as the closing operation of the pressure control valve by the deflation-time valve closing control or after the closing operation thereof; and    an auxiliary reservoir pressure setting control for setting the pressure in the auxiliary reservoir tank at a predetermined pressure.    
   
   
       10 . A balloon pump driving apparatus according to any one of claims  5  through  9 , wherein the pressure accumulator including; 
 an isolator housing of which inside is a hollow,    isolator means having a movable membrane disposed in the isolator housing, the inside of the isolator housing divided into an output chamber and an input chamber by the movable membrane, the output chamber connected to the balloon via the pressure control valve; and    movable membrane driving means for displacing the movable membrane in the isolator housing.    
   
   
       11 . A balloon pump driving apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the movable membrane driving means is a fluid-type pump connected to the input chamber of the isolator means, wherein the movable membrane is displaced in response to oil flow back and forth between the fluid type pump and the input chamber.