Controller and power source for implantable blood pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9446180-B2
Application number	US-201514843424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2015
Priority date	Jan 4, 2013
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for controlling the operation of, and providing power for and to, implantable ventricular assist devices which include a brushless DC motor-driven blood pump, are disclosed. In one embodiment, a control system for driving an implantable pump is provided. The digital processor is responsive to data associated with the operation of the pump received at the data transfer port, and from the program data stored in memory, (i) to determine therefrom, the identity of the pump, (ii) to determine therefrom, electrical characteristics and features of the identified pump, and (iii) to adaptively generate and apply to the data port, control signals for driving the identified pump. Latch mechanisms, an elongated flexible electrical cable with a strain relief segment, and a lower housing portion that is heavier than an upper housing portion, may also be provided with the control system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system for driving an implantable blood pump comprising:
an internal battery;
an external battery; and
a processor configured to perform an estimation of a remaining run time of the internal and external batteries;
wherein the estimation includes determining a remaining capacity of the internal battery, determining a remaining capacity of the external battery, determining a consumption rate of the internal battery, and determining a consumption rate of the external battery,
wherein determining the remaining capacity of the external battery includes determining a value of the remaining capacity of the internal battery and modifying the value of the remaining capacity of the internal battery to account for a loss in efficiency when the external battery charges the internal battery.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the loss in efficiency is estimated at approximately 10%.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein determining the consumption rate of the external battery includes multiplying an average current of the external battery and an average voltage of the external battery.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein determining the consumption rate of the external battery includes using a most recently stored value, wherein the most recently stored value is calculated by multiplying an average current of the external battery and an average voltage of the external battery.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein determining the consumption rate of the external battery includes selecting a value based on a speed of the implantable pump and a hematocrit setting entered into the control system.

6. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the selected value is stored in a table in memory of the control system.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein determining the consumption rate of the external battery includes determining an instantaneous consumption rate when four conditions are met, the conditions including:
(a) the internal battery is not charging;
(b) no AC power adapters are connected to the control system;
(c) the implantable blood pump is running; and
(d) power is being provided to the control system from the external battery,
wherein the instantaneous consumption rate is determined by multiplying an average current of the external battery and an average voltage of the external battery.

8. The control system of claim 7 , wherein determining the consumption rate of the external battery includes using a most recently stored value when any of the four conditions is not met, the most recently stored value being calculated by multiplying an average current of the external battery and an average voltage of the external battery.

9. The control system of claim 8 , wherein when the consumption rate is determined using the most recently stored value, the determined consumption rate is used for the internal battery and the external battery.

10. The control system of claim 8 , wherein when any of the four conditions is not met and when the control system is in an initialization phase, determining the consumption rate of the external battery includes selecting a value based on a speed of the implantable pump and a hematocrit setting entered into the control system.

11. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the selected value is stored in a table in memory of the control system.

12. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to display at least one of the estimated remaining run times of the internal and external batteries on a display device coupled to a housing of the control system.

13. The control system of claim 12 , wherein, prior to displaying at least one of the estimated remaining run times of the internal and external batteries, the estimated remaining run time is discretized.

14. The control system of claim 13 , wherein the estimated remaining run time is discretized to a first relatively large time increment when the remaining run time is relatively large, and the estimated run time is discretized to a second relatively small time increment when the remaining run time is relatively small.

15. The control system of claim 13 , wherein the estimated remaining run time is discretized into increments of 30 minutes when the estimated remaining run time is greater than about 6 hours.

16. The control system of claim 13 , wherein the estimated remaining run time is discretized into increments of minutes when the estimated remaining run time is between about 3.5 hours and about 6 hours.

17. The control system of claim 13 , wherein the estimated remaining run time is discretized into increments of 1 minute when the estimated remaining run time is less than about 1.5 hours.

18. The control system of claim 13 , wherein the estimated remaining run time is always greater to or equal than the discretized estimated remaining run time.

Assignees

• Heartware Inc

Inventors

• Vadala Jr Charles Joseph
• Larose Jeffrey A
• Rudser John
• Ashenuga Michael

Classifications

• A61M2205/502

  User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards · CPC title

• A61M2205/8206

  battery-operated · CPC title

• G06F1/263

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61M2205/50

  with microprocessors or computers · CPC title

• A61M2205/8262

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