Thoratec Patent Applications

Method of Implanting a Blood Pump System

Granted: June 28, 2012
Application Number: 20120165931
A method of implanting a blood pump system in a patient requiring treatment includes creating an opening in an epicardium of a heart to access an interior chamber of the heart and implanting a blood pump such that an inlet port of a pump housing is in fluid communication with the interior chamber of the heart through the opening. The pump housing has a first external surface adjacent to the inlet port such that it is substantially adjacent to the epicardium of the heart when implanted.…

CONTROLLING IMPLANTED BLOOD PUMPS

Granted: January 26, 2012
Application Number: 20120022645
A blood pump controller includes a microcontroller and a communication interface. The microcontroller is configured to communicate with various types of blood pump communication modules. The microcontroller is further configured to determine, based on communication with a particular type of blood pump communication module, the particular type of blood pump communication module communicated with. The microcontroller is further configured to select, based on the determination of the…

Rotary Pump with Hydrodynamically Suspended Impeller

Granted: January 19, 2012
Application Number: 20120016178
A pump assembly 1, 33, 200 adapted for continuous flow pumping of blood. In a particular from the pump 1, 200 is a centrifugal pump wherein the impeller 100, 204 is entirely sealed within the pump housing 2, 201 and is exclusively hydrodynamically suspended therein as the impeller rotates within the fluid 105 urged by electromagnetic means external to the pump cavity 106, 203. Hydrodynamic suspension is assisted by the impeller 100, 204 having deformities therein such as blades 8 with…

Attachment Method

Granted: January 12, 2012
Application Number: 20120010455
Preparing the heart for connection with a ventricular assist device (VAD) can include attaching an attachment ring to a ventricular apex of the heart. The attachment ring optionally includes a seal or a valve to allow the procedure to be performed with or without a heart-lung bypass. A valve can be temporarily attached to the attachment ring. Tissue is removed from the ventricular apex through the attachment ring to form a hole through which an inflow conduit of the VAD can be inserted.…

IMPLANTABLE HEART ASSIST SYSTEM AND METHOD OF APPLYING SAME

Granted: January 5, 2012
Application Number: 20120004495
An extracardiac pumping for supplementing the circulation of blood, including the cardiac output, in a patient without any component thereof being connected to the patient's heart, and methods of using same. One embodiment provides a vascular graft that has a first end that is sized and configured to couple to a non-primary blood vessel and a second end that is fluidly coupled to a pump to conduct blood between the pump and the non-primary blood vessel. An outflow conduit is also…

Physiological Demand Responsive Control System

Granted: January 5, 2012
Application Number: 20120004497
A demand responsive physiological control system for use with a rotary blood pump; said system including a pump controller which is capable of controlling pump speed of said pump; said system further including a physiological controller, and wherein said physiological controller is adapted to analyze input data relating to physiological condition of a user of said pump; and wherein said physiological controller determines appropriate pumping speed and sends a speed control signal to said…

BI-VENTRICULAR PERCUTANEOUS CABLE

Granted: December 8, 2011
Application Number: 20110298304
A percutaneous cable includes a cable body having a first end and second end, the cable body including a sheath adapted to traverse a patient's skin. The cable includes a plurality of conductors disposed within the cable body configured to transmit power and control data between a system controller and two implantable pumps. The cable includes a first connector disposed at the first end of the cable body and coupled to the plurality of conductors, the first connector configured to…

EXPANDABLE IMPELLER PUMP

Granted: September 29, 2011
Application Number: 20110236210
An impeller includes a hub, and a plurality of blades supported by the hub, the blades being arranged in at least two blade rows. The impeller has a deployed configuration in which the blades extend away from the hub, and a stored configuration in which at least one of the blades is radially compressed, for example by folding the blade towards the hub. The impeller may also have an operational configuration in which at least some of the blades are deformed from the deployed configuration…

Mobility-Enhancing Blood Pump System

Granted: June 30, 2011
Application Number: 20110160516
A blood pump system includes a first implantable housing, an implantable blood pump independent from the first implantable housing, and a percutaneous extension. The first implantable housing includes a rechargeable power storage device. The implantable blood pump supplements the pumping function of a heart. The rechargeable power storage device supplies electrical power to the implantable blood pump. The percutaneous extension is coupled to the rechargeable power storage device and…

Blood Pump System With Mounting Cuff

Granted: June 30, 2011
Application Number: 20110160850
An implantable blood pump system includes a blood pump housing and a mounting cuff. The blood pump housing at least partially contains a pump drive system adapted to transfer blood from an interior chamber of a heart and return the blood to a circulatory system. The blood pump housing includes an inlet port adapted to provide a passage for the flow of blood from the interior chamber of the heart into an interior space of the pump housing and an outlet port adapted to provide a passage…

IMPLANTABLE HEART ASSIST SYSTEM

Granted: June 23, 2011
Application Number: 20110152600
A heart assist system having an implantable pump conveying blood between two vascular locations and an extracorporeal system providing power and control signals to the pump. The system also includes a communication link having an implantable portion coupled to the implantable pump, an extracorporeal portion coupled to the extracorporeal system and an isolation portion between the implantable portion and the extracorporeal portion that minimizes the transmission of movement and forces…

Coring Knife

Granted: June 16, 2011
Application Number: 20110144680
A coring knife can be used to make a circular incision. The coring knife can include an abutment that can be inserted into heart tissue. The circular incision is made by pressing the circular cutting edge of the coring knife against the abutment.

Slitting Tool

Granted: May 26, 2011
Application Number: 20110125256
A slitting tool can be used to make a linear incision. The slitting can include a flat blade contained within a housing, and an actuator for extending the flat blade out of a housing.

Attachment System, Device and Method

Granted: May 19, 2011
Application Number: 20110118766
A ventricular assist system and a method of implanting the system are disclosed. The system can have a pump, an inflow conduit, an outflow conduit, attachment ring, ring clamp, and a valvular structure. The attachment ring can be attached to the apex of the heart. The valvular structure can have a flexible, one-way valve in a rigid housing. The inflow conduit can be passed through the valvular structure and the attachment ring into a beating heart with minimal loss of blood. Devices such…

Attachment device and method

Granted: May 19, 2011
Application Number: 20110118829
A ventricular assist system and a method of implanting the system are disclosed. The system can have a pump, an inflow conduit, an outflow conduit, and attachment ring and a valvular structure. The attachment ring can be attached to the apex of the heart. The valvular structure can have a flexible, one-way valve in a rigid housing. The inflow conduit can be passed through the valvular structure and the attachment ring into a beating heart with minimal loss of blood.

Attachment device and method

Granted: May 19, 2011
Application Number: 20110118833
A ventricular assist system and a method of implanting the system are disclosed. The system can have a pump, an inflow conduit, an outflow conduit, and attachment ring and a valvular structure. The attachment ring can be attached to the apex of the heart. The valvular structure can have a flexible, one-way valve in a rigid housing. The inflow conduit can be passed through the valvular structure and the attachment ring into a beating heart with minimal loss of blood.

HEART ASSIST DEVICE WITH EXPANDABLE IMPELLER PUMP

Granted: March 24, 2011
Application Number: 20110071338
An impeller includes a hub and at least one blade supported by the hub. The impeller has a stored configuration in which the blade is compressed so that its distal end moves towards the hub, and a deployed configuration in which the blade extends away from the hub. The impeller may be part of a pump for pumping fluids, such as pumping blood within a patient. A blood pump may include a cannula having a proximal portion with a fixed diameter, and a distal portion with an expandable…

Axial flow blood pump

Granted: March 17, 2011
Application Number: 20110065978
An axial flow rotary blood pump including an impeller adapted to be magnetically rotated within a housing by the interaction of magnets disposed on or in the impeller and stators disposed on or in the housing. The impeller includes at least one support ring supporting a plurality of blades, and a hydrodynamic bearing that operates at least axially and radially in respect of an axis of rotation of the impeller.

Pulsatile Control System for a Rotary Blood Pump

Granted: March 3, 2011
Application Number: 20110054239
A system for controlling the speed of a rotary blood pump. The system oscillates the speed of the pump to produce pulsed pressure at the outlet of the pump. The speed is oscillated synchronously with the natural cardiac cycle. The natural cardiac cycle is determined using a pulsatility index calculated from the back EMF produced by the pump or an impedance sensor.

BLOOD PUMP WITH EXPANDABLE CANNULA

Granted: January 6, 2011
Application Number: 20110004046
A blood pump includes an impeller having a plurality of foldable blades and a cannula having a proximal portion with a fixed diameter, and a distal portion with an expandable diameter. The impeller can reside in the expandable portion of the cannula. The cannula has a collapsed condition for percutaneous delivery to a desired location within the body, and an expanded condition in which the impeller can rotate to pump blood. A flexible drive shaft can extend through the cannula for…