Modular flying lead cable and methods for use with heart pump controllers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11944834-B2
Application number	US-202217837750-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2022
Priority date	Mar 21, 2018
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

An external controller assembly for a medical device implanted in a patient includes an external controller and an external driveline assembly. The external controller includes an external controller display viewable by the patient. The external driveline assembly includes an external driveline cable and an external driveline distal connector. The external driveline cable is connected to the external driveline distal connector and the external controller. The external driveline cable accommodates positioning of the external driveline distal connector, by the patient, for simultaneous viewing of the external driveline distal connector and the external controller display by the patient. The external driveline distal connector is adapted to be connected to the distal driveline proximal connector by the patient. The external driveline distal connector is adapted to be disconnected from the distal driveline proximal connector by the patient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blood circulation assist system, comprising:
an implantable blood pump;
an external controller via which power to operate the implantable blood pump is supplied to the implantable blood pump, wherein the external controller is configured to display a connection indicator that is viewable by a patient in which the implantable blood pump is implanted;
a percutaneous cable assembly connected to the implantable blood pump and comprising a proximal connector, wherein the percutaneous cable assembly has a skin-interface segment adapted to extend through a skin of a patient, and wherein the percutaneous cable assembly has a flexibility and an exterior length from the skin-interface segment to the proximal connector that accommodates positioning of the proximal connector, by the patient, between the connection indicator and an eye of the patient; and
an external cable assembly connected to the external controller and comprising a distal connector, wherein the external cable assembly accommodates positioning of the distal connector, by the patient, for simultaneous viewing of the distal connector and the connection indicator by the patient, wherein the distal connector and the proximal connector are adapted to be connected by the patient, and wherein the distal connector and the proximal connector are adapted to be disconnected by the patient,
wherein the external controller is adapted to detect whether the distal connector and the proximal connector are connected and display the connection indicator,
and wherein the connection indicator is indicative of whether the distal connector and the proximal connector are connected.

2. The blood circulation assist system of claim 1 , wherein the external cable assembly has a length and a flexibility to accommodate the positioning of the distal connector, by the patient, for simultaneous viewing of the distal connector and the connection indicator by the patient.

3. The blood circulation assist system of claim 2 , wherein the length of the external cable assembly is from 5 inches to 9 inches.

4. The blood circulation assist system of claim 3 , wherein:
the external controller comprises an external cable assembly connection port;
the external cable assembly comprises an external cable assembly proximal connector that is connects the external cable assembly to the external cable assembly connection port; and
the external controller comprises a latching mechanism that prevents the patient from disconnecting the external cable assembly proximal connector from the external cable assembly connection port without use of a tool.

5. The blood circulation assist system of claim 1 , wherein:
the external cable assembly comprises a first connection lead and a second connection lead;
the second connection lead is electrically connected to the first connection lead while the distal connector is connected to the proximal connector;
the second connection lead is electrically disconnected from the first connection lead while the distal connector is not connected to the proximal connector; and
the external controller is configured to detect whether the second connection lead is electrically connected to the first connection lead.

6. The blood circulation assist system of claim 1 , wherein the percutaneous cable assembly comprises:
an intermediate cable assembly that includes the proximal connector; and
a distal cable assembly that is connectable to the intermediate cable assembly.

7. The blood circulation assist system of claim 6 , wherein the intermediate cable assembly and the distal cable assembly are connected to prevent disconnection without a tool.

8. The blood circulation assist system of claim 7 , further comprising an intermediate driveline latching mechanism that prevents disconnection of the intermediate cable assembly and the distal cable assembly without use of a specialized tool.

9. The blood circulation assist system of claim 1 , wherein:
the distal connector and the proximal connector are included in a patient-operable connection assembly;
the patient-operable connection assembly comprises a latching mechanism having a retention configuration and a release configuration;
the latching mechanism blocks decoupling of the distal connector from the proximal connector in the retention configuration;
the latching mechanism accommodates decoupling of the distal connector from the proximal connector in the release configuration; and
the latching mechanism is reconfigurable by the patient from the retention configuration to the release configuration.

10. The blood circulation assist system of claim 9 wherein the latching mechanism is reconfigured from the retention configuration to the release configuration via relative rotation of the distal connector and the proximal connector by the patient.

11. The blood circulation assist system of claim 9 , wherein the latching mechanism comprises a latching member that is operated by the patient to reconfigure the latching mechanism from the retention configuration to the release configuration.

12. A method of providing a connection indication to a patient indicative of whether an external controller is operatively connected by a driveline to a blood pump implanted in the patient, the method comprising:
detecting, by the external controller, whether an external cable assembly of the driveline is connected to a percutaneous cable assembly of the driveline by detecting whether a distal connector of the external cable assembly is connected to a proximal connector of the percutaneous cable assembly, wherein:
the driveline is configured for transferring electrical power from the external controller to the blood pump for operation of the blood pump,
a distal end of a percutaneous cable assembly is connected to the blood pump,
the percutaneous cable assembly has a skin-interface segment that extends through a skin of the patient,
a proximal end of the external cable assembly is connected to the external controller, and
the external cable assembly and the percutaneous cable assembly accommodate positioning, by the patient, of the distal connector and the proximal connector for simultaneous viewing, by the patient, of the distal connector, the proximal connector, and a connection indicator displayed by the external controller indicative of whether the distal connector and the proximal connector are connected; and

displaying, by the external controller, the connection indicator.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the percutaneous cable assembly comprises an intermediate cable assembly and a distal cable assembly, wherein the intermediate cable assembly comprises the proximal connector, wherein the distal cable assembly is connectable to the intermediate cable assembly, and further comprising securing the intermediate cable assembly to the distal cable assembly so as to prevent the patient from disconnecting the intermediate cable assembly from the distal cable assembly without use of a tool.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the external cable assembly is connected to the external controller so as to prevent disconnection without use of a tool.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the external cable assembly has a length from 5 inches to 9 inches.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein a length of the percutaneous cable assembly between the external cable assembly and the skin-interface segment is from 3.0 inches to 7.0 inches.

17. An external controller assembly for an implanted blood pump, the external controller assembly comprising:
an external controller via which

Assignees

• Tc1 Llc

Inventors

• Nguyen John
• Franco Fabian
• Di Paola Mark
• Hoarau Carine
• Harold Nathan
• Morado Michael

Classifications

• A61N1/3787 Primary

  from an external energy source · CPC title

• A61M60/148

  in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices · CPC title

• A61M60/178 Primary

  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

• A61M60/585

  User interfaces · CPC title

• A61M60/857

  Implantable blood tubes · CPC title