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US4397049A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Hydraulically actuated cardiac prosthesis with three-way ventricular valving

Assignee: FOXCROFT ASSOCIATES A Ltd PARTNRSHIP OF TX
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Filing: 1981-09-15
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Granted: 1983-08-09
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Expires: 2001-09-15
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Abstract

Abstract A cardiac prosthesis having an hydraulically actuated compressible blood pump. An actuation chamber adjacent the blood pump receives hydraulic actuation fluid from an actuator pump through a three-way ventricular dump valve to compress the blood pump during systole and eject blood therefrom. During diastole the actuation fluid is permitted to drain from the actuation chamber through the three-way valve into a reservoir.

Inventors

  • 👤 Thomas C. Robinson
  • 👤 Sotiris Kitrilakis

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 14:54
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M60/00; A61M60/80; A61M60/855; A61M60/869; A61M60/10; A61M60/122; A61M60/196; A61M60/40; A61M60/424; A61M60/427; A61M60/50; A61M60/508; A61M60/871; A61M60/873; A61M60/89; A61M60/892; A61M60/894; A61M2205/00; A61M2205/33; A61M2205/3331; A61M2205/3334; A61M2205/82; A61M2205/8237; A61M2205/8243; A61M60/126; A61M60/148; A61M60/435

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim 226 words
An implantable hydraulically actuated total cardiac prosthesis comprising: a pair of blood pumping chambers each having a blood inlet, a blood outlet and a flexible portion; a pair of actuation chambers each adapted to contain actuation fluid, one of said actuation chambers being operatively associated with one of said blood pumping chambers and the other of said actuation chambers being operatively associated with the other of said blood pumping chambers to cause displacement of the flexible portion of said blood pumping chambers in response to changes in volume of actuation fluid in their associated actuation chambers; an actuation fluid reservoir; actuation fluid pumping means separate from and in fluid communication with said reservoir for pumping actuation fluid therefrom; and a separate three-way valve means associated with each of said actuation chambers, each of said valve means being in fluid communication with its associated actuation chamber, said pumping means and said reservoir, and being adapted to alternately and repetitively direct actuation fluid from said pumping means to its associated actuation chamber and then from its associated actuation chamber to said reservoir; said reservoir comprising a separate compliant zone associated with each of said actuation chambers, defined at least in part by a flexible wall portion made from biocompatible elastomeric material, said compliant zones communicating with each other, said pumping means and said valve means by flexible ducting.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 226 words
An implantable hydraulically actuated total cardiac prosthesis comprising: a pair of blood pumping chambers each having a blood inlet, a blood outlet and a flexible portion; a pair of actuation chambers each adapted to contain actuation fluid, one of said actuation chambers being operatively associated with one of said blood pumping chambers and the other of said actuation chambers being operatively associated with the other of said blood pumping chambers to cause displacement of the flexible portion of said blood pumping chambers in response to changes in volume of actuation fluid in their associated actuation chambers; an actuation fluid reservoir; actuation fluid pumping means separate from and in fluid communication with said reservoir for pumping actuation fluid therefrom; and a separate three-way valve means associated with each of said actuation chambers, each of said valve means being in fluid communication with its associated actuation chamber, said pumping means and said reservoir, and being adapted to alternately and repetitively direct actuation fluid from said pumping means to its associated actuation chamber and then from its associated actuation chamber to said reservoir; said reservoir comprising a separate compliant zone associated with each of said actuation chambers, defined at least in part by a flexible wall portion made from biocompatible elastomeric material, said compliant zones communicating with each other, said pumping means and said valve means by flexible ducting.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said actuation fluid pumping means comprises a pump and drive motor therefor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 16 words
The invention of claim 2 wherein said pump is a high speed, mixed flow rotary pump.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 15 words
The invention of claim 2 wherein said drive motor is a brushless DC electric motor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 15 words
The invention of claim 4 further comprising means for commutating said brushless DC electric motor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 14 words
The invention of claim 5 wherein said means for commutating comprises back-emf control circuitry.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 26 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said actuation fluid pumping means comprises a separate pump and drive motor therefor associated with each of said actuation chambers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 18 words
The invention of claim 7 wherein each of said pumps is a high speed, mixed flow rotary pump.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 17 words
The invention of claim 7 wherein each of said drive motors is a brushless DC electric motor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 15 words
The invention of claim 9 further comprising means for commutating said brushless DC electric motor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 14 words
The invention of claim 10 wherein said means for commutating comprises back-emf control circuitry.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 29 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said blood inlet and said blood outlet are provided with prosthetic valves adapted to permit the flow of blood in only one direction.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 37 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said blood pumping chamber comprises a variable volume zone defined in part by a flexible membrane made from biocompatible elastomeric material and in part by a rigid blood pumping chamber housing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 35 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said actuation chamber comprises a variable volume zone defined in part by said flexible portion of said blood pumping chamber and in part by a rigid actuation chamber housing.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 20 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said valve means comprises a three-port rotary plug valve and a drive motor therefor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 25 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein each of said valve means is mounted on its associated actuation chamber and communicates directly with the interior thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 24 words
The invention of claim 16 wherein said pumping means comprises a separate pump and drive motor therefor associated with each of said actuation chambers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 30 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein each of said valve means is connected to said actuation chamber by a duct through which actuation fluid enters and leaves said actuation chamber.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 25 words
The invention of claim 18 wherein said pumping means comprises a separate pump and a drive motor therefor associated with each of said actuation chambers.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 21 words
The invention of claim 19 wherein each of said pumps and their associated valve means are mounted together as a unit.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 21 words
The invention of claim 17, 19 or 20 wherein each of said pumps is a high speed, mixed flow rotary pump.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 20 words
The invention of claim 17, 19 or 20 wherein each of said drive motors is a brushless DC electric motor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 15 words
The invention of claim 22 further comprising means for commutating said brushless DC electric motor.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 14 words
The invention of claim 23 wherein said means for commutating comprises back-emf control circuitry.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 30 words
The invention of claim 1 further comprising means for applying electric power to said actuation fluid pumping means and associated control electronics in a patient having an implanted cardiac prosthesis.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 35 words
The invention of claim 25 wherein said means for supplying electric power comprises an external primary coil inductively coupled to a subcutaneous secondary coil for transmitting electrical energy across the intact skin of a patient.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 251 words
An implantable hydraulically actuated total cardiac prosthesis comprising: a pair of blood pumping chambers each having a blood inlet, a blood outlet and a flexible portion; a pair of actuation chambers each adapted to contain actuation fluid, one of said actuation chambers being operatively associated with one of said blood pumping chambers and the other of said actuation chambers being operatively associated with the other of said blood pumping chambers to cause displacement of the flexible portion of said blood pumping chambers in response to changes in volume of actuation fluid in their associated actuation chambers; an actuation fluid reservoir; actuation fluid pumping means separate from and in fluid communication with said reservoir for pumping actuation fluid therefrom, said actuation fluid pumping means comprising a two-sided reversible pump and a drive motor therefor, each side of said reversible pump alternately serving as an inlet and an outlet, a separate flow path communicating each side of said reversible pump with said reservoir, and check valve means in each of said flow paths for permitting flow of actuation fluid along said flow paths only from said reservoir to said reversible pump; and a separate three-way valve means associated with each of said actuation chambers, each of said valve means being in fluid communication with its associated actuation chamber, said pumping means and said reservoir, and being adapted to alternately and repetitively direct actuation fluid from said pumping means to its associated actuation chamber and then from its associated actuation chamber to said reservoir.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 251 words
An implantable hydraulically actuated total cardiac prosthesis comprising: a pair of blood pumping chambers each having a blood inlet, a blood outlet and a flexible portion; a pair of actuation chambers each adapted to contain actuation fluid, one of said actuation chambers being operatively associated with one of said blood pumping chambers and the other of said actuation chambers being operatively associated with the other of said blood pumping chambers to cause displacement of the flexible portion of said blood pumping chambers in response to changes in volume of actuation fluid in their associated actuation chambers; an actuation fluid reservoir; actuation fluid pumping means separate from and in fluid communication with said reservoir for pumping actuation fluid therefrom, said actuation fluid pumping means comprising a two-sided reversible pump and a drive motor therefor, each side of said reversible pump alternately serving as an inlet and an outlet, a separate flow path communicating each side of said reversible pump with said reservoir, and check valve means in each of said flow paths for permitting flow of actuation fluid along said flow paths only from said reservoir to said reversible pump; and a separate three-way valve means associated with each of said actuation chambers, each of said valve means being in fluid communication with its associated actuation chamber, said pumping means and said reservoir, and being adapted to alternately and repetitively direct actuation fluid from said pumping means to its associated actuation chamber and then from its associated actuation chamber to said reservoir.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 15 words
The invention of claim 27 wherein said reversible pump is of the axial flow type.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1986-08-08 1987-02-07 1987-08-09 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1990-08-08 1991-02-07 1991-08-09 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1994-08-08 1995-02-07 1995-08-09 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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