Ventricular Assist Device

Abstract

A ventricular assist device for use in a human recipient includes a housing within which a series pair of turbine pump segments and at least one set of deswirlers are operative. The series pair of turbine pump segments provides a redundancy in turn enhances the safety factor provided by the ventricular assist device. A controller is powered by a rechargeable battery and is operative to apply appropriate drive signals to the motor drives of the turbine pump segments. The battery may be implanted along with the controller to avoid the need for any external connections to the ventricular assist device. An inductively coupled battery charger for use outside the recipient's body is positioned proximate the battery charger to provide inductively coupled charging for use in driving the ventricular assist device.

1 . A ventricular assist device comprising:
 a housing having an input, an output and a fluid passageway extending from said input to said output;   a first turbine pump within said fluid passageway operative to flow blood through said fluid passageway;   a second turbine pump within said fluid passageway operative to flow blood through said fluid passageway;   a venturi portion within said fluid passageway between said first and second turbine pumps; and   at least one set of deswirler vanes in said fluid passageway positioned downstream of at least one of said first and second turbine pumps.   
     
     
         2 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second turbine pumps further comprises:
 a turbine impeller supported upon an arbor;   a rotor joined to the outer edges of said turbine impeller and rotatable therewith;   a cylindrical isolator formed of a glass material and fixed to the interior of a pump receptacle of said housing.   
     
     
         3 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 1 , wherein said first and said second turbine pumps are redundant whereby if one of said pumps fails said other pump increases its flow capacity. 
     
     
         4 . A ventricular assist device comprising:
 a housing having an input, an input turbine receptacle, an output, an output turbine receptacle and a coupling passage between said input turbine receptacle and said output turbine receptacle, said input, said input turbine receptacle, said output, said output turbine receptacle and said coupling passage being generally coaxial;   a turbine pump supported within said input turbine receptacle operative to flow blood from said input through said coupling passage and through said output; and   at least one additional turbine pump supported within said output turbine receptacle operative to flow blood from said input through said coupling passage and through said output; and   at least one set of deswirler vanes in said coupling passage positioned downstream of at least one of said turbine pumps.   
     
     
         5 . A ventricular assist device comprising:
 a housing having an input configured to be coupled to a ventricle of a human heart, an input turbine receptacle, an output configured to be coupled to aorta of a human heart, an output turbine receptacle and a coupling passage between said input turbine receptacle and said output turbine receptacle, said input, said input turbine receptacle, said output, said output turbine receptacle and said coupling passage being generally coaxial;   a first turbine pump supported within said input turbine receptacle operative to flow blood from said input through said coupling passage and through said output;   a first deswirler fixed within said first turbine receptacle having a first plurality of deswirler vanes; a second turbine pump supported within said output turbine receptacle operative to flow blood from said input through said coupling passage and through said output; and   a second deswirler fixed within said second turbine receptacle having a second plurality of deswirler vanes.   
     
     
         6 . A ventricular assist device comprising:
 a housing sized to be implantable within a human recipient's chest, said housing having an input, a plurality of turbine receptacles and a plurality of coupling passages therebetween, said plurality of turbine receptacles including an input turbine receptacle and an output turbine receptacle;   a plurality of turbine pumps each supported within one of said turbine receptacles operative to flow blood from said input through said coupling passages to maintain adequate blood circulation to sustain normal life functions; and   a plurality of deswirlers each fixed within an associated turbine receptacle and each having a plurality of deswirler vanes.   
     
     
         7 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 1 , further comprising a gap between said turbine pump and said deswirler about 0.5 mm wide. 
     
     
         8 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one flow sensor positioned at said outlet of said housing. 
     
     
         9 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 2 , wherein said isolator is spaced from said rotor by an air gap between said rotor and said isolator. 
     
     
         10 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a motor core enclosing said isolator, said motor core fixed within said pump receptacle.   
     
     
         11 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 2 , said turbine pump further comprising:
 an outer core ring encircling the outer surface of said motor core; and   windings on either side of said outer core ring which encircle said motor core.   
     
     
         12 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 2 , said turbine pump further comprising: sapphire bearings between said turbine impeller and said arbor. 
     
     
         13 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an implantable microcontroller unit including a pair of fully redundant micro controllers able to fully support the operation of said first and second turbines of said ventricular assist device, said implantable microcontroller electrically coupled to said ventricular assist device.   
     
     
         14 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 13 , further comprising; a pair of flow sensors at the output of said ventricular assist device, said flow sensors electrically coupled to said microcontrollers. 
     
     
         15 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 13 , further comprising: at least one implantable battery unit including a secondary charging coil coupled to a rectifier coupled to a battery, said at least one battery unit coupled to said implantable microcontroller and said first and second turbines. 
     
     
         16 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 13 , wherein said implantable microcontroller independently controls each of said first and second turbines speed and output. 
     
     
         17 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 1 , wherein said implantable microcontroller independently controls each of said first and second turbines and provides redundant turbine control to control one of said first and second turbines to continue to provide blood flow despite a failure of the other of said first and second turbines. 
     
     
         18 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 13  wherein said microcontroller further includes wireless communication capability to call or text a remote location to indicate system anomalies, failures, operating conditions, battery charge levels or operating conditions. 
     
     
         19 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 1 , wherein said microcontroller controls said redundant micro controllers and thereby said first and second turbines based on sensor readings from said pair of flow sensors to maintain blood flow within a preset maximum and minimum pressure envelope and replicate the pulsatile characteristic of a normal human heart by introducing pre-programmed increases and decreases of turbine speed to create pressure surges and lulls. 
     
     
         20 . The ventricular assist device of  claim 1 , wherein said first turbine includes a plurality of curved vanes and said at least one set of deswirler vanes are oppositely curved with respect to said curved vanes of said first turbine.