Cardiac programmer for a coronary blood pump

Claim 1

A cardiac programmer system for driving a complementary coronary blood pump disposed at a non-thoractive location in delayed synchronism with the electrocardiogram waveform of a subject, said system comprising: 1. electrode means adapted for connection to the subject to detect an elEctrocardiogram signal and for providing an input signal representative thereof; 2. wave-shaping means coupled to said electrode means for generating a control pulse in response to selected characteristics of the electrocardiogram input signal after a predetermined time period following the occurrence of the selected electrocardiogram characteristics, said wave-shaping means including a. filtering and clipping circuit means for removing selected components of the electrocardiogram input signal and for providing a first periodic signal responsive thereto having a substantially constant peak amplitude and being substantially unaffected by spurious changes in the input signal, b. a trigger circuit means responsive to said first periodic signal for providing a second periodic signal having a preselected pulse duration representative of a desired maximum operational rate of the system, and c. an adjustable time delay means including a timing circuit means responsive to said second periodic signal for producing a third periodic signal of preselected duration an adjustable period of time after occurrence of said second periodic signal, said third periodic signal defining said control pulse and wherein said preselected duration of said adjustable time delay prior to generation of said third periodic signal is substantially equal to the propagation time of a coronary ventricular pressure pulse from the thorax region of the subject to the remote pump location; 3. controllable valve means adapted for connection to an external blood pump, said valve means being responsive to and actuatable by said control pulse to effect operation of the blood pump; whereby synchronous cardiac assistance is effected at a blood pump location remote from the thorax region in the arterial system of the subject.