US5722930A — Reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement

Claim 1

Independent Claim 170 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement comprising: a hollow cylinder, a piston slidably positioned in the cylinder for reciprocating longitudinal movement therein to pump circulatory fluid through the cylinder as an assist to circulation, a permanent magnet arrangement fixedly attached to the piston for movement therewith and having axially spaced magnet poles directed radially outwardly toward the peripheral surface of the piston, an array of coil windings supported in axially spaced relation by the hollow cylinder, and control means for sequentially energizing the coil windings adjacent to the poles such that current flows through coil windings adjacent to opposite poles in opposite directions so as to exert an axial force on the piston causing the piston to move longitudinally through the hollow cylinder in a controlled manner in synchrony with the sequential energization of the electrical windings and wherein the sequential energization is arranged to cause the piston to be drawn toward the energized windings when the piston is approached by the pattern of sequentially energized windings from either direction.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 170 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement comprising: a hollow cylinder, a piston slidably positioned in the cylinder for reciprocating longitudinal movement therein to pump circulatory fluid through the cylinder as an assist to circulation, a permanent magnet arrangement fixedly attached to the piston for movement therewith and having axially spaced magnet poles directed radially outwardly toward the peripheral surface of the piston, an array of coil windings supported in axially spaced relation by the hollow cylinder, and control means for sequentially energizing the coil windings adjacent to the poles such that current flows through coil windings adjacent to opposite poles in opposite directions so as to exert an axial force on the piston causing the piston to move longitudinally through the hollow cylinder in a controlled manner in synchrony with the sequential energization of the electrical windings and wherein the sequential energization is arranged to cause the piston to be drawn toward the energized windings when the piston is approached by the pattern of sequentially energized windings from either direction.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 37 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pitch of the magnetic poles in the permanent magnet arrangement is equal to an integral multiple of the axial spacing of the coil windings.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 38 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pitch of the magnet poles in the permanent magnet arrangement is not equal to an integral multiple of the axial spacing of the coil windings.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 39 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein the width of each of the magnet poles in the permanent magnet arrangement is equal to an integral multiple of the axial spacing of the coil windings.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 40 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein the width of each of the magnet poles in the permanent magnet arrangement is not equal to an integral multiple of the axial spacing of the coil windings.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 39 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein the piston comprises a one-way valve arranged to open when the piston moves in one direction and to close when the piston moves in the other direction.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 31 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein the piston is imperforate and including a pair of one-way valves mounted at each end of the hollow cylinder.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 59 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement in accordance with claim 1 implanted in a human body and including implantable rechargeable battery means to supply power to energize the array of coil windings in the pump and implantable charging coil means for charging the rechargeable battery means in response to excitation by a power source external to the human body.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 29 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement in accordance with claim 1 implantable in a human body and including implanted pacemaker means for providing control signals to the control means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 27 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement in accordance with claim 1 implantable in a human body including epicardial leads for supplying control signals to the control means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 29 words

A reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement implantable in accordance with claim 1 in a human body including implantable coil means connected to the control means for providing telemetering communication.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 147 words

A method for assisting blood flow in a patient in need thereof comprising the steps of surgically implanting a reciprocating pump into a ventricular outflow artery, the pump comprising a hollow cylinder, an array of axially spaced coil windings supported by the cylinder, a piston-valve assembly slidably positioned in the cylinder for longitudinal movement therein, the piston-valve assembly comprising a diametral support ring and at least two valve leaflets supported for pivotal motion on spaced axes within the diametral support ring, providing permanent magnet means including axially spaced magnetic poles producing radially directed magnetic flux which cooperates with the axially spaced coil windings, the permanent magnet means being fixedly attached to the piston-valve for movement therewith in response, and sequentially energizing the coil windings wherein the pump is positioned in a manner which causes blood being ejected by a ventricle to flow into and through the pump.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 147 words

A method for assisting blood flow in a patient in need thereof comprising the steps of surgically implanting a reciprocating pump into a ventricular outflow artery, the pump comprising a hollow cylinder, an array of axially spaced coil windings supported by the cylinder, a piston-valve assembly slidably positioned in the cylinder for longitudinal movement therein, the piston-valve assembly comprising a diametral support ring and at least two valve leaflets supported for pivotal motion on spaced axes within the diametral support ring, providing permanent magnet means including axially spaced magnetic poles producing radially directed magnetic flux which cooperates with the axially spaced coil windings, the permanent magnet means being fixedly attached to the piston-valve for movement therewith in response, and sequentially energizing the coil windings wherein the pump is positioned in a manner which causes blood being ejected by a ventricle to flow into and through the pump.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 38 words

A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising surgically implanting the pump into an ascending aorta, downstream from the aortic valve which remains functional after surgery, and downstream from all coronary artery orifices in the aortic wall.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising surgically implanting the pump into a pulmonary artery, downstream from a pulmonary valve which remains functional after surgery.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 61 words

A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein surgically implanting the pump into a ventricular outflow artery comprises the following steps: (a) transecting the ventricular outflow artery, thereby generating two exposed transected ends of an arterial wall; and (b) implanting a-reciprocating pump between the transected ends of the arterial wall using arterial attachment devices coupled to each end of the pump.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 220 words

A method for assisting blood flow in a patient in need thereof, comprising the step of surgically implanting a linear electric pump into a ventricular outflow artery, wherein the pump is positioned in a manner which causes blood being ejected by a ventricle to flow into and through the pump, wherein the pump comprises: (1) a housing with a linear flow path passing therethrough, with an opening at each end of the housing for inflow and outflow of blood, respectively, wherein each end of the housing is coupled to an arterial attachment device; (2) linear pumping means slidably mounted within the housing; (3) electrical winding means for driving the linear pumping means; (4) control means for controlling the electrical winding means so as to synchronize operation of the linear electric pump with the election of blood by the ventricle into the patient's vascular system and augment the pumping of blood elected by the ventricle; and wherein the linear electric pump is electrically coupled to a power supply capable of supplying a voltage suitable for driving the linear pumping means, and wherein the housing and the linear pumping means are designed in a manner which allows blood to continue flowing through the linear flow path due to natural ventricular ejection if the pump suffers a mechanical failure or loss of power.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 220 words

A method for assisting blood flow in a patient in need thereof, comprising the step of surgically implanting a linear electric pump into a ventricular outflow artery, wherein the pump is positioned in a manner which causes blood being ejected by a ventricle to flow into and through the pump, wherein the pump comprises: (1) a housing with a linear flow path passing therethrough, with an opening at each end of the housing for inflow and outflow of blood, respectively, wherein each end of the housing is coupled to an arterial attachment device; (2) linear pumping means slidably mounted within the housing; (3) electrical winding means for driving the linear pumping means; (4) control means for controlling the electrical winding means so as to synchronize operation of the linear electric pump with the election of blood by the ventricle into the patient's vascular system and augment the pumping of blood elected by the ventricle; and wherein the linear electric pump is electrically coupled to a power supply capable of supplying a voltage suitable for driving the linear pumping means, and wherein the housing and the linear pumping means are designed in a manner which allows blood to continue flowing through the linear flow path due to natural ventricular ejection if the pump suffers a mechanical failure or loss of power.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 205 words

A ventricular assist device comprising a first surgically implantable pump and a second surgically implantable pump, each pump including a hollow cylinder, a piston slidably positioned in the cylinder for longitudinal movement therein, a permanent magnet member fixedly attached to the piston for movement therewith and having spaced magnet poles directed radially outwardly toward the outer surface of the piston, an array of electrical windings spaced axially along the hollow cylinder, and high permeability, high saturation magnetic material between the spaced electrical windings, whereby the flux produced by the permanent magnet poles links the electrical windings, wherein the first pump is implantable in the right branch of a pulmonary artery and the second pump is implantable in the left branch of the pulmonary artery, and control means for sequentially energizing the electrical windings in the array adjacent to the poles such that current flows through the windings adjacent to opposite poles in opposite directions so as to exert an axial force on the piston in each pump causing the corresponding piston to move longitudinally through the hollow cylinder in a controlled manner in synchrony with the sequential energization of the electrical windings wherein each pump elects a portion of blood flowing through the pulmonary artery.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 205 words

A ventricular assist device comprising a first surgically implantable pump and a second surgically implantable pump, each pump including a hollow cylinder, a piston slidably positioned in the cylinder for longitudinal movement therein, a permanent magnet member fixedly attached to the piston for movement therewith and having spaced magnet poles directed radially outwardly toward the outer surface of the piston, an array of electrical windings spaced axially along the hollow cylinder, and high permeability, high saturation magnetic material between the spaced electrical windings, whereby the flux produced by the permanent magnet poles links the electrical windings, wherein the first pump is implantable in the right branch of a pulmonary artery and the second pump is implantable in the left branch of the pulmonary artery, and control means for sequentially energizing the electrical windings in the array adjacent to the poles such that current flows through the windings adjacent to opposite poles in opposite directions so as to exert an axial force on the piston in each pump causing the corresponding piston to move longitudinally through the hollow cylinder in a controlled manner in synchrony with the sequential energization of the electrical windings wherein each pump elects a portion of blood flowing through the pulmonary artery.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-03-02	2001-09-01	2002-03-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-03-02	2005-09-01	2006-03-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-03-02	2009-09-01	2010-03-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Reciprocating pump circulatory assist arrangement

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