External drive unit for an implantable heart assist pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337126-B2
Application number	US-201816603526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2018
Priority date	Apr 7, 2017
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

The application relates to an external drive unit ( 7 ) for an implantable heart assist pump. The proposed drive unit ( 7 ) comprises a motor ( 35 ) for driving the heart assist pump, wherein the motor ( 35 ) is connectable to the heart assist pump via a transcutaneous drive shaft ( 3 ). The drive unit ( 7 ) further comprises a heat spreader ( 19 ) comprising a contact surface configured to contact and/or directly contact and/or lie flat against a skin of a patient. The contact surface is connected or connectable with the motor ( 35 ) in a thermally-conductive manner to transfer heat generated by the motor ( 35 ) to tissue of the patient.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An external drive unit for an implantable heart assist pump comprising:
a motor housing;
a motor disposed in the motor housing, the motor configured for driving a heart assist pump, wherein the motor is connectable to the heart assist pump via a transcutaneous drive shaft, and
a heat patch connected to the motor housing via a strap, the heat patch comprising a contact surface configured to contact a skin of a patient,
wherein the contact surface is configured to connect with the motor in a thermally-conductive manner to distribute and transfer heat generated by the motor into the skin of the patient.

2. The external drive unit of claim 1 , wherein a surface area of the contact surface is at least 25 cm 2 .

3. The external drive unit of claim 2 , wherein a surface area of the contact surface is at least 50 cm 2 .

4. The external drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the heat patch is flexible at least in one area.

5. The external drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the heat patch is a foil or a patch.

6. The external drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the heat patch comprises a thermally conductive layer, wherein the thermally conductive layer contains a metal.

7. The external drive unit of claim 6 , wherein the thermally conductive layer contains at least one of copper, aluminum or pyrolytic carbon.

8. The external drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the heat patch comprises a biocompatible coating.

9. The external drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the heat patch comprises an adhesive surface configured to attach the heat patch to the skin.

10. The external drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the heat patch comprises openings or recesses to allow for an evaporation of sweat from the skin.

11. The external drive unit of claim 10 , wherein the openings are elongated.

12. The external drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the heat patch comprises a sweat absorbent material.

13. The external drive unit of claim 12 , wherein the heat patch comprises a textile.

14. The external drive unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the motor comprises a stator and a rotatably mounted rotor connectable to the drive shaft,
wherein a fluid gap is formed between the rotor and the stator, and
wherein the fluid gap is in fluid connection with a purge opening for injecting a purge medium into the fluid gap.

15. The external drive unit of claim 14 , wherein a width of the fluid gap is at most 0.1 mm.

16. The external drive unit of claim 14 , wherein a width of the fluid gap is at least 0.1 mm.

17. The external drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the heat patch comprises a heat pipe.

Assignees

• Ecp Entw Mbh

Inventors

• Schumacher Joerg
• Spanier Gerd
• Siess Thorsten
• Daschewski Maxim
• Wang Jim-Po

Classifications

• A61M2205/8262

  connectable to external power source, e.g. connecting to automobile battery through the cigarette lighter · CPC title

• A61M2205/04

  implanted · CPC title

• A61M2025/0266

  using pads, patches, tapes or the like · CPC title

• A61M60/237

  the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps · CPC title

• A61M60/13

  by means of a catheter allowing explantation, e.g. catheter pumps temporarily introduced via the vascular system · CPC title