Monitoring of a cardiac assist device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017049945-A1
Application number	US-201414901023-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2014
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	Feb 23, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control system for a cardiac assist device includes a sensor implantable in the body at the heart or at an implanted pump of the cardiac assist device, the sensor being for detecting motion of the pump within the body and hence being for monitoring movement of the pump, where the control system is arranged to, in use: receive signals from the sensor, the signals providing information on the movement of the pump; and to process the signals to monitor the pump speed and/or to identify pump malfunction and/or cardiac assist treatment complications.

First claim

1 . A control system for a cardiac assist device, the system including a sensor implantable in the body at the heart or at an implanted pump or graft of the cardiac assist device, the sensor being for detecting motion of the pump within the body and hence being for monitoring movement of the pump, and the control system being arranged to, in use: receive signals from the sensor, the signals providing information on the movement of the pump which may be used to determine information about pump function, vibrations caused by the impeller and blood flow patterns through the pump; and to process the signals to monitor the pump speed and/or to identify pump malfunction and complications to cardiac assist treatment.

2 . A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a failure of the cardiac assist device is identified when the sensor signal diverges by a given degree from an expected or normal range of values.

3 . A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein processing of the sensor signals includes a raw signal analysis, frequency analysis, pattern recognition analysis, data streaming analysis and/or acoustic analysis.

4 . A control system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the signal analysis is used to identify the pump parameters that can indicate pump failure and may be used to identify changes in blood flow patterns thorough the cardiac assist device caused by inflow and outflow problems and changes in blood viscosity and embolies caused by air, blood or tissue fragments.

5 . A control system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a failure of the cardiac assist device pump is indicated by the control system when the pump parameter(s) derived from the motion sensor signals differs from expected or normal pump parameter by more than a given amount.

6 . A control system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the presence or absence of one or more predetermined frequency in the sensor signal is used to identify pump failure.

7 . A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the implantable sensor is a motion sensor capable of detecting motion of the pump within the body, and may include one or more an accelerometer, an inertia based sensor, an electro-mechanical position sensor, an acoustic sensor element such as an ultrasound sensor and/or a gyroscopic sensor.

8 . A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensor signal and/or the results of a frequency analysis thereof are compared to historical motion sensor data to identify when a failure is occurring and optionally to identify the type of failure.

9 . A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control system is arranged to provide an alert to the user or operator when a potential failure is identified.

10 . A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control system is arranged to provide a continuous indication of one or more pump parameter(s) as identified based on the motion sensor measurements.

11 . A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control system is arranged to provide the system includes a sensor that is at the heart and is for monitoring movement of the heart, and the control system is arranged to, in use: receive signals providing information on movement of the heart, process the signals to identify heart dysfunction indicative of inadequate or excessive flow rate from the cardiac assist device; and adjust the flow rate from the cardiac assist device based on the identification of such heart dysfunction in order to optimise the performance of the cardiac assist device

12 . A cardiac assist device comprising the control system of claim 1 .

13 . A method comprising use of the apparatus of claim 1 for cardiac assistance, monitoring of the cardiac pump and/or cardiac function and/or guidance of medical treatment in the acute phase or the follow-up phase.

14 . A method of controlling a cardiac assist device comprising: monitoring of a pump of the cardiac assist device by detecting motion of the pump within the body and hence measuring pump movement using implanted motion sensors; and, based on the measured movement of the pump, monitoring the pump speed and/or identifying pump malfunctions.

15 .- 17 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Univ Oslo Hf

Inventors

• Halvorsen Per Steinar
• Espinoza Andreas
• Fosse Erik

Classifications

• A61M2205/3375

  Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means · CPC title

• A61M2205/18

  with alarm · CPC title

• A61M2205/702

  automatically during use · CPC title

• A61M2205/50

  with microprocessors or computers · CPC title

• A61M2205/3365

  Rotational speed · CPC title