Driveline connectors and methods for use with heart pump controllers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10953145-B2
Application number	US-201916270907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2019
Priority date	Mar 21, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A connector assembly for connecting external power sources to an implanted medical device enables continual supply of electrical power to the implanted medical device during replacement of an external power source. A connector assembly includes a distal driveline contact assembly, a first driveline contact assembly, and a second driveline contact assembly. The second driveline contact assembly is connectable to the distal driveline contact assembly prior to disconnection of the first driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of replacing a first external power supply that supplies electrical power to an implanted medical device with a second external power supply that supplies electrical power to the implanted medical device without interrupting supply of electrical power to the implanted medical device from at least one of the first external power supply and the second external power supply, the method comprising:
supplying electrical power to the implanted medical device from the first external power supply via a first driveline connected to the first external power supply and a distal driveline through which electrical power is transmitted to the implanted medical device, wherein the first driveline comprises a first driveline contact assembly, and wherein the distal driveline comprises a distal driveline contact assembly connected to the first driveline contact assembly and receiving electrical power from the first driveline contact assembly;
while the first external power supply is operatively connected to the implanted medical device via the first driveline contact assembly being connected to the distal driveline contact assembly, operatively connecting the second external power supply to the implanted medical device by connecting a second driveline contact assembly to the distal driveline contact assembly, wherein a second driveline connected to the second external power supply comprises the second driveline contact assembly;
rotating the first driveline contact assembly relative to the distal driveline contact assembly from a retention orientation to a connection orientation that accommodates disconnection of the first driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly, wherein the first external power supply is operatively connected to the implanted medical device via the first driveline contact assembly being connected to the distal driveline contact assembly in the connection orientation; and
while the second external power supply is operatively connected to the implanted medical device via the second driveline contact assembly being connected to the distal driveline contact assembly, disconnecting the first external power supply from the implanted medical device by disconnecting the first driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
reconfiguring a shield assembly from a retention configuration to a connection configuration, wherein the shield assembly prevents disconnection of the first driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly in the retention configuration, wherein the shield assembly accommodates the first driveline contact assembly and the second driveline contact assembly being concurrently connected to the distal driveline contact assembly in the connection configuration, and wherein the shield assembly accommodates disconnection of the first driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly in the connection configuration; and
subsequent to the disconnection of the first driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly, reconfiguring the shield assembly from the connection configuration to the retention configuration, wherein the shield assembly, in the retention configuration, prevents disconnection of the second driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
prior to the reconfiguring of the shield assembly from the connection configuration to the retention configuration, rotating the second driveline contact assembly relative to the distal driveline contact assembly from a connection orientation for the second driveline contact assembly in which the distal driveline contact assembly accommodates connection of the second driveline contact assembly with the distal driveline contact assembly to a retention orientation for the second driveline contact assembly.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the reconfiguring of the shield assembly from the retention configuration to the connection configuration comprises translating the shield assembly relative to the first driveline contact assembly and the distal driveline contact assembly to disengage the shield assembly from at least one of the first driveline contact assembly and the distal driveline contact assembly; and
the reconfiguring of the shield assembly from the connection configuration to the retention configuration comprises translating the shield assembly relative to the second driveline contact assembly and the distal driveline contact assembly to engage the shield assembly with at least one of the second driveline contact assembly and the distal driveline contact assembly.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the distal driveline contact assembly blocks disconnection of the first driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly while the first driveline contact assembly is in the retention orientation relative to the distal driveline contact assembly; and
the distal driveline contact assembly blocks disconnection of the second driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly while the second driveline contact assembly is in the retention orientation relative to the distal driveline contact assembly.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the disconnection of the first driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly comprises removing a first protruding pin of the distal driveline contact assembly from a recess of the first driveline contact assembly, electrical contacts of the first driveline contact assembly being aligned with first electrical contacts of the distal driveline contact assembly when the first protruding pin is disposed in the recess of the first driveline contact assembly; and
the connection of the second driveline contact assembly to the distal driveline contact assembly comprises inserting a second protruding pin of the distal driveline contact assembly into a recess of the second driveline contact assembly to align electrical contacts of the second driveline contact assembly with second electrical contacts of the distal driveline contact assembly.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising maintaining contact between the electrical contacts of the second driveline contact assembly and the second electrical contacts of the distal driveline contact assembly during the rotating of the second driveline contact assembly relative to the distal driveline contact assembly.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implanted medical device comprises a blood pump.

9. A blood circulation assist system, comprising:
an implantable blood pump;
a first external controller;
a first driveline connected to the first external controller and through which electrical power is transmittable via the first external controller to the implantable blood pump;
a first driveline contact assembly electrically connected to the first driveline;
a second external controller;
a second driveline connected to the second external controller and through which electrical power is transmittable via the second external controller to the implantable blood pump;
a second driveline contact assembly electrically connected to the second driveline;
a distal driveline through which electrical power is transmitted to the implantable blood pump; and
a distal driveline contact assembly electrically connected to the distal driveline, the distal driveline contact assembly being electrically connectable to:
either of the first driveline contact assembly and the second driveline contact assembly; and
either of the first driveline contact assembly and the second driveline contact assembly w

Assignees

• Tc1 Llc
• Tci Llc

Inventors

• Petersen Ethan

Classifications

• H01R35/04 Primary

  Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle {with frictional contact members} · CPC title

• A61M60/88

  Percutaneous cables · CPC title

• A61M60/878 Primary

  Electrical connections within the patient's body · CPC title

• A61M60/585

  User interfaces · CPC title

• A61M60/178

  drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices · CPC title