Triple helix driveline cable and methods of assembly and use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9603984-B2
Application number	US-201514844567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Sep 3, 2014
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A power cable having improved durability and associated methods of assembly and use are described herein. In one aspect, the power cable is adapted for use in powering an implantable circulatory pump system. The cable includes one or more conductors of uninsulated wire strands that are loosely packed so as to move relative one another during cable flexure. The driveline cable may include a plurality of conductors, each comprised of multiple uninsulated bundles of uninsulated, loosely packed wire strands of a conductive material, that are wrapped about a central core. The cable may include at least six conductors, each conductor having at least 200 wire strands of a 30 gauge or higher. The cable may include the plurality of wire strands wound in a Litz style configuration to provide improved durability over many cycles of use at reduced cost, improved integrity of the electrical connection and reduced diameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driveline cable for an implantable heart pump, the driveline cable comprising:
a plurality of conductors wound along a longitudinal axis of the cable, each conductor comprising a plurality of uninsulated wire strands disposed within an outer insulating layer, wherein the plurality of uninsulated wire strands in each conductor are loosely packed such that a majority of the uninsulated wire strands are movable relative other wire strands when the conductor is flexed, wherein the plurality of wire strands of each conductor are of a 30 gauge or higher and each conductor comprises a plurality of bunches of wire strands, each bunch having at least 32 wire strands of the plurality of wire strands; and
an outer jacket disposed about the wound plurality of conductors.

2. The driveline cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of strands of each conductor comprise a-plurality of uninsulated bundles of wire strands wound together in a first pattern along a longitudinal axis of the conductor.

3. The driveline cable of claim 2 , wherein each bundle comprises a plurality of bunches of wire strands wound together in a second pattern along a longitudinal axis of the respective bundle.

4. The driveline cable of claim 3 , wherein each bunch of wire strands comprises a group of wire strands wound together in a third pattern along a longitudinal axis of the respective bunch.

5. The driveline cable of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of insulated conductors are wound in a fourth pattern along a longitudinal axis of the cable.

6. The driveline cable of claim 4 , wherein the third pattern comprises a wrapping the conductors around a central core at a pitch of 0.75 inch or less along the longitudinal axis of the core.

7. The driveline cable of claim 4 , wherein the first, second and third patterns correspond to those of a Litz wire winding configuration.

8. The driveline cable of claim 7 , wherein the Litz wire winding configuration corresponds to a Type 5 Litz wire configuration.

9. The driveline cable of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of wire strands of each conductor are wound in a 3×3×32 configuration.

10. The driveline cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wire strands of each conductor comprise a total of at least 200 wire strands.

11. The driveline cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wire strands of each conductor are strands of a copper alloy.

12. The driveline cable of claim 11 , wherein the one or more conductors comprises 6 insulated conductors wrapped about a solid core of the cable, each conductor comprising 288 uninsulated copper strands.

13. A method of assembling a power cable for use with an implantable heart pump, the method comprising:
winding a plurality of uninsulated wire strands to form a plurality of bunches, the wire strands of each bunch being wound in a first pattern along a longitudinal axis of the respective bunch and being loosely packed such that a majority of the wire strands in each bunch are movable relative other wire strands of the bunch when the cable is flexed;
winding the plurality of bunches to form a plurality of bundles, each bundle comprising multiple bunches of wire strands wound in a second pattern along a longitudinal axis of the respective bundle;
winding the plurality of bundles to form a plurality of conductors, each conductor of the plurality comprising multiple bundles of wire strands wound in a third pattern along a longitudinal axis of the respective conductor;
winding the plurality of conductors together in a fourth pattern along a longitudinal axis of the power cable; and
covering the wound plurality of conductors with an outer insulating layer.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
covering each of the plurality of conductors with an outer insulating layer before winding of the plurality of conductors together in the fourth pattern.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first, second and third winding patterns correspond to a Litz wire configuration.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of conductors comprises at least six conductors wrapped around a central core of the cable.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein winding the conductors comprises wrapping the conductors together at a pitch of 0.75 inch or less along the longitudinal axis of the cable.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein each conductor comprises at least 200 wire strands of a copper alloy.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
covering the wound conductors with a layer of PTFE.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
covering the PTFE layer with a thermoplastic polycarbonate polyurethane, an aramid armor layer and a silicone jacket.

21. A method of powering a device for use with an implantable heart pump, the method comprising:
electrically connecting a power cable to the implantable heart pump, wherein the power cable comprises: a plurality of conductors, each conductor comprising a plurality of loosely packed uninsulated wire strands, the plurality of wire strands of each conductor comprise at least 60 wire strands of a 30 gauge or higher, and an outer jacket covering the plurality of conductors; and
powering the implantable heart pump using a low frequency alternating current or a direct current transmitted through the power cable.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein each conductor comprises a plurality of bundles of loosely packed uninsulated wire strands wound about a longitudinal axis of the respective conductor and the plurality of conductors are wound about a longitudinal axis of the cable.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of strands, the plurality of bundles and the plurality of cables are wound in patterns corresponding to those of a Litz wire configuration.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the low-frequency alternating current is less than about 20 kHz.

25. The method of claim 21 , wherein electrically connecting comprises implanting the power cable between the implantable heart pump and an implantable controller.

26. A method of powering a device for use with an implantable heart pump, the method comprising:
electrically connecting a power cable to the implantable heart pump, wherein the power cable comprises: a plurality of conductors, each conductor comprising a plurality of loosely packed uninsulated wire strands, and an outer jacket covering the plurality of conductors; and
powering the implantable heart pump using a low frequency alternating current or a direct current transmitted through the power cable,
wherein powering the implantable heart pump with the cable comprises conducting electrical current between adjacent uninsulated wire strands of the plurality of wire strands such that electrical transmission is maintained through each conductor including any conductor having broken wire strands of the plurality of wire strands.

Assignees

• Thoratec Corp
• Tci Llc

Inventors

• Romero Jaime
• Harold Nathan

Classifications

• H01B7/048 Primary

  for implantation into a human or animal body, e.g. pacemaker leads · CPC title

• A61M1/122

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• H01B1/026 Primary

  Alloys based on copper · CPC title

• A61M1/127 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61M2205/04

  implanted · CPC title