Patent US3636570A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3636570A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Mechanical heart system
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1969-09-24
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Granted: 1972-01-25
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Expires: 1989-09-24
Abstract
Abstract A mechanical heart system including an artificial heart having a rigid exterior casing which is partitioned into two halves, each half being divided into chambers by a flexible diaphragm which collapses to pump blood out of the artificial heart when subjected to fluid pressure and which expands to withdraw blood into the artificial heart when the fluid pressure is removed therefrom. A mechanical driving pump forces driving fluid into and withdraws driving fluid from the artificial heart to control the operation of the diaphragm, the pump (a) forcing driving fluid into the artificial heart at a rate which is greater than the withdrawal of driving fluid from the artificial heart and (b) providing a more uniform rate of fluid flow between the pump and the artificial heart and modulating the transition between injection and withdrawal of driving fluid from the artificial heart. A pump regulator is connected to the power input of the mechanical pump, the regulator responding to the breathing rate of the user of the system to control the power input to the mechanical pump whereby the breathing rate of the user will determine the rate at which blood pumps from the artificial heart. In an alternative preferred embodiment, a fluid pump is substituted for the mechanical heart pump, the fluid pump accommodating injection of driving fluid into the artificial heart at a relatively constant rate and withdrawal of driving fluid from the artificial heart at another relatively constant rate. An alternate heart embodiment includes fluid-receiving cylinders and displaceable pistons alternately reciprocated in the cylinders due to fluid pressure developed by the fluid pump. An accumulator associated with the cylinders allows the pistons to travel in one direction at one rate and in the other direction at another rate.
Inventors
- 👤 Jay P Nielson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 22:00
CPC Classifications
F; F04; F04B; F04B49/00; F04B49/20; A; A61; A61M; A61M60/00; A61M60/10; A61M60/104; A61M60/117; A61M60/40; A61M60/424; A61M60/438; A61M60/441; A61M60/443; A61M60/457; A61M60/462; A61M60/50; A61M60/508; A61M60/515; A61M60/538; A61M60/80; A61M60/845; A61M60/851; F04B43/00; F04B43/02; F04B43/06; F04B9/00; F04B9/02; F04B9/08; F04B9/10; A61M2205/00; A61M2205/33; A61M2205/3331; A61M2205/3334; A61M60/20; A61M60/247; A61M60/253; A61M60/268; A61M60/855; A61M60/89; A61M60/892; A61M60/894
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
310 words
An artificial heart system comprising: a variable speed fluid pump comprising a prime mover, first and second accumulator means, means for alternately expanding and contracting the volume of the accumulator means so that the first accumulator expands while the second contracts and vice versa and so that the rate of flow of fluid from the accumulator being contracted is essentially constant, and means for expanding each accumulator at a rate which is slower than the contraction rate of the respective accumulator; a speed regulator connected to the fluid pump for controlling the operating speed of the pump comprising means for supplying electrical power to the regulator, brush means associated with a rheostat so that the power output of the regulator is determined by the relative positions of the brush means and the rheostat means, rotatable shaft means which determines the relative positions of the brush means and the rheostat means, means responsive to the inhalation-exhalation rate of a user of the system for determining the amount of displacement of the brush means and means for communicating the power output to the prime mover; and an artificial heart comprising two compartments separated by a rigid partition and a flexible diaphragm dividing each compartment into two chambers, means respectively communicating the interior of first and second accumulators of the fluid pump into a chamber in each side of the rigid partition and means for communicating the cardiovascular system of the user of the other respective chambers on each side of the partition so that when each accumulator contracts the chamber in communication therewith is filled with fluid from the pump and the flexible diaphragm forces blood out of the other chamber to the circulatory system and when each accumulator expands, the chamber in communication therewith is evacuated and blood is drawn from the circulatory system of the user into the other chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
310 words
An artificial heart system comprising: a variable speed fluid pump comprising a prime mover, first and second accumulator means, means for alternately expanding and contracting the volume of the accumulator means so that the first accumulator expands while the second contracts and vice versa and so that the rate of flow of fluid from the accumulator being contracted is essentially constant, and means for expanding each accumulator at a rate which is slower than the contraction rate of the respective accumulator; a speed regulator connected to the fluid pump for controlling the operating speed of the pump comprising means for supplying electrical power to the regulator, brush means associated with a rheostat so that the power output of the regulator is determined by the relative positions of the brush means and the rheostat means, rotatable shaft means which determines the relative positions of the brush means and the rheostat means, means responsive to the inhalation-exhalation rate of a user of the system for determining the amount of displacement of the brush means and means for communicating the power output to the prime mover; and an artificial heart comprising two compartments separated by a rigid partition and a flexible diaphragm dividing each compartment into two chambers, means respectively communicating the interior of first and second accumulators of the fluid pump into a chamber in each side of the rigid partition and means for communicating the cardiovascular system of the user of the other respective chambers on each side of the partition so that when each accumulator contracts the chamber in communication therewith is filled with fluid from the pump and the flexible diaphragm forces blood out of the other chamber to the circulatory system and when each accumulator expands, the chamber in communication therewith is evacuated and blood is drawn from the circulatory system of the user into the other chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
An artificial heart system as defined in claim 1 wherein said pump comprises pressure-responsive means for varying the volume of output fluid from the pump to the artificial heart in accordance with the volume offered by the body to the artificial heart so that the heart delivers to the body only the amount of blood offered by the body to the heart.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
306 words
An artificial heart system comprising: a unidirectional, variable speed fluid pump comprising a prime mover and a gear rotor assembly energized by the prime mover and providing high pressure fluid output at one location and low-pressure fluid input at another location and an oscillating porting plate assembly alternately communicating the high-pressure output to each of two conduit means; a speed regulator for controlling the operating speed of the pump comprising means for supplying electrical power to the regulator, brush means associated with rheostat means so that the power output of the regulator is determined by the relative positions of the brush means and the rheostat means, means responsive to the inhalation-exhalation rate of a user of the system for determining the amount of displacement of the brush means and means for communicating the power output to the prime mover; and an artificial heart comprising at least two cylinders, each having a reciprocating piston therein separating blood in the heart from driving fluid in the pump, means connecting the output of the fluid pump to each of the cylinders, input and output valve means for accommodating one-way displacement of blood into and out of each cylinder above each respective piston, an accumulator chaMber in open communication with the input valve means for continuously receiving venous blood, an accumulator piston displaceably disposed in the chamber and responsive to blood pressure displacement so that when each reciprocating piston alternately retracts during the diastolic stroke, the accumulator empties blood into the corresponding cylinder at the same time blood is drawn from the body of the user through the input valve means into the cylinder whereby the rate at which blood is forced through the output valve means to the body during the systolic stroke is greater than the rate at which blood is drawn from the body during the diastolic.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
306 words
An artificial heart system comprising: a unidirectional, variable speed fluid pump comprising a prime mover and a gear rotor assembly energized by the prime mover and providing high pressure fluid output at one location and low-pressure fluid input at another location and an oscillating porting plate assembly alternately communicating the high-pressure output to each of two conduit means; a speed regulator for controlling the operating speed of the pump comprising means for supplying electrical power to the regulator, brush means associated with rheostat means so that the power output of the regulator is determined by the relative positions of the brush means and the rheostat means, means responsive to the inhalation-exhalation rate of a user of the system for determining the amount of displacement of the brush means and means for communicating the power output to the prime mover; and an artificial heart comprising at least two cylinders, each having a reciprocating piston therein separating blood in the heart from driving fluid in the pump, means connecting the output of the fluid pump to each of the cylinders, input and output valve means for accommodating one-way displacement of blood into and out of each cylinder above each respective piston, an accumulator chaMber in open communication with the input valve means for continuously receiving venous blood, an accumulator piston displaceably disposed in the chamber and responsive to blood pressure displacement so that when each reciprocating piston alternately retracts during the diastolic stroke, the accumulator empties blood into the corresponding cylinder at the same time blood is drawn from the body of the user through the input valve means into the cylinder whereby the rate at which blood is forced through the output valve means to the body during the systolic stroke is greater than the rate at which blood is drawn from the body during the diastolic.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
156 words
An artificial heart comprising at least two cylinders, each having a fluid displaceable piston therein, means connecting each cylinder at one end to a fluid pump so that fluid is alternately communicated to and withdrawn from the cylinder to displace the piston in a first direction and to permit pressure due to blood introduced into the other end of the cylinder to displace the piston in a second direction: first means for connecting the other end of each cylinder to venous blood supply from the body of a user and second means for connecting the other end of each cylinder to arterial blood supply from the body; valve means for accommodating unidirectional blood flow; and accumulator means disposed in communication with the first means, said accumulator alternately accepting venous blood from the body during the systolic stroke of one piston and delivering venous blood to the cylinder during the diastolic stroke of the corresponding other piston.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
156 words
An artificial heart comprising at least two cylinders, each having a fluid displaceable piston therein, means connecting each cylinder at one end to a fluid pump so that fluid is alternately communicated to and withdrawn from the cylinder to displace the piston in a first direction and to permit pressure due to blood introduced into the other end of the cylinder to displace the piston in a second direction: first means for connecting the other end of each cylinder to venous blood supply from the body of a user and second means for connecting the other end of each cylinder to arterial blood supply from the body; valve means for accommodating unidirectional blood flow; and accumulator means disposed in communication with the first means, said accumulator alternately accepting venous blood from the body during the systolic stroke of one piston and delivering venous blood to the cylinder during the diastolic stroke of the corresponding other piston.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-24 | 1975-07-26 | 1976-01-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-24 | 1979-07-26 | 1980-01-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-24 | 1983-07-26 | 1984-01-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |