Abstract: A method of making a blood pump comprises selecting a desired flow pattern in a pumping chamber defined by an extensible bladder wherein the flow pattern is based generally on blood flow in a natural heart, using an initial computer model of the desired flow pattern to determine the material composition and dynamic operation conditions of each portion of the bladder, designing a bladder and pump operating system, computer modeling the actual design, testing and refining the design, and constructing a prototype based thereon. The desired flow pattern includes guiding and directing the flow of blood through the pumping chamber by reason of the action of an expansile bladder on the blood flow. A continuous circular or spiral fluid path is obtained that more effectively washes all areas of the bladder including the inlet and discharge ports with blood to reduce thrombosis.

Abstract: A method of making a blood pump comprises selecting a desired flow pattern in a pumping chamber defined by an extensible bladder wherein the flow pattern is based generally on blood flow in a natural heart, using an initial computer model of the desired flow pattern to determine the material composition and dynamic operation conditions of each portion of the bladder, designing a bladder and pump operating system, computer modeling the actual design, testing and refining the design, and constructing a prototype based thereon. The desired flow pattern includes guiding and directing the flow of blood through the pumping chamber by reason of the action of an expansile bladder on the blood flow. A continuous circular or spiral fluid path is obtained that more effectively washes all areas of the bladder including the inlet and discharge ports with blood to reduce thrombosis.

Abstract: A method of making a blood pump comprises selecting a desired flow pattern in a pumping chamber defined by an extensible bladder wherein the flow pattern is based generally on blood flow in a natural heart, using an initial computer model of the desired flow pattern to determine the material composition and dynamic operation conditions of each portion of the bladder, designing a bladder and pump operating system, computer modeling the actual design, testing and refining the design, and constructing a prototype based thereon. The desired flow pattern includes guiding and directing the flow of blood through the pumping chamber by reason of the action of an expansile bladder on the blood flow. A continuous circular or spiral fluid path is obtained that more effectively washes all areas of the bladder including the inlet and discharge ports with blood to reduce thrombosis.

Abstract: A medication delivery system includes an array of cartridge-receiving ports, a medication receiving fluid conduit, and a plurality of dispensing elements. Each port includes a fluid channel terminating at a fluid outlet and is configured to receive one of a plurality of cartridges that each contain a bolus volume of medication. The medication-receiving fluid conduit is fluidically coupled to the fluid outlet of each cartridge-receiving port at a first region and to a system outlet conduit at a second region (which in turn can be coupled to a patient catheter line). Each dispensing element corresponds to a single cartridge-receiving port so that, upon activation of the dispensing element, at least a portion of the bolus volume of medication flows through the fluid outlet of each cartridge-receiving port into the medication-receiving fluid conduit. Related apparatus, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A medication delivery cartridge is described that includes a casing having an internal cavity extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the casing, a plunger translatable within the internal cavity that includes a penetrable fluid outlet, a volume of medicine contained within the internal cavity disposed between the plunger and the proximal end of the casing, and a first penetrable sterility barrier spanning the internal cavity proximate the distal end of the casing. Related apparatus, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A medication delivery system includes an array of cartridge-receiving ports, a medication receiving fluid conduit, and a plurality of dispensing elements. Each port includes a fluid channel terminating at a fluid outlet and is configured to receive one of a plurality of cartridges that each contain a bolus volume of medication. The medication-receiving fluid conduit is fluidically coupled to the fluid outlet of each cartridge-receiving port at a first region and to a system outlet conduit at a second region (which in turn can be coupled to a patient catheter line). Each dispensing element corresponds to a single cartridge-receiving port so that, upon activation of the dispensing element, at least a portion of the bolus volume of medication flows through the fluid outlet of each cartridge-receiving port into the medication-receiving fluid conduit. Related apparatus, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of making a blood pump comprises selecting a desired flow pattern in a pumping chamber defined by an extensible bladder wherein the flow pattern is based generally on blood flow in a natural heart, using an initial computer model of the desired flow pattern to determine the material composition and dynamic operation conditions of each portion of the bladder, designing a bladder and pump operating system, computer modeling the actual design, testing and refining the design, and constructing a prototype based thereon. The desired flow pattern includes guiding and directing the flow of blood through the pumping chamber by reason of the action of an expansile bladder on the blood flow. A continuous circular or spiral fluid path is obtained that more effectively washes all areas of the bladder including the inlet and discharge ports with blood to reduce thrombosis.

Abstract: A pump especially designed for pumping blood comprises a bladder, the interior surface area and volume of which is changeable, i.e., it stretches and expands during the filling phase, and elastically contracts to its normal relaxed size during the ejection phase. The bladder has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A device, such as a vacuum pump, alternately expands and contracts the interior surface area and volume of the bladder. Most of the interior surface area of the bladder expands and contracts in each cycle. One or more check valves or other means for causing substantially one-way fluid flow through the bladder are also provided. The pump of the invention decreases the likelihood of blood clots forming in the pump, decreases the risk of damage to blood cells, improves the pumping characteristics of the device, and decreases or eliminates the chance of foreign fluids passing into the blood stream should a tear or break occur in the bladder.

Abstract: A pump especially designed for pumping blood comprises a bladder, the interior surface area and volume of which is changeable, i.e., it stretches and expands during the filling phase, and elastically contracts to its normal relaxed size during the ejection phase. The bladder has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A device, such as a vacuum pump, alternately expands and contracts the interior surface area and volume of the bladder. Most of the interior surface area of the bladder expands and contracts in each cycle. One or more check valves or other means for causing substantially one-way fluid flow through the bladder are also provided. The pump of the invention decreases the likelihood of blood clots forming in the pump, decreases the risk of damage to blood cells, improves the pumping characteristics of the device, and decreases or eliminates the chance of foreign fluids passing into the blood stream should a tear or break occur in the bladder.

Abstract: An intelligent controller for on-line monitoring of circulation system in order to minimize a problem of streaming electrification and to avoid degradation of the electrical insulation of the system. The controller is designed to combine advantages of fuzzy logic and neural networks, and includes a fuzzy logic (employing a pseudo-neural network) for acquiring analog input data from a plurality of sensors and for interpreting this input data into fuzzyfier outputs. A main processor consisting of a fully connected feed-forward neural network serves for processing the fuzzifier outputs in order to obtain controlling instructions for the system.

Abstract: A pump especially designed for pumping blood comprises a bladder, the interior surface area and volume of which is changeable, i.e., it stretches and expands during the filling phase, and elastically contracts to its normal relaxed size during the ejection phase. The bladder has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A device, such as a vacuum pump, alternately expands and contracts the interior surface area and volume of the bladder. Most of the interior surface area of the bladder expands and contracts in each cycle. One or more check valves or other means for causing substantially one-way fluid flow through the bladder are also provided. The pump of the invention decreases the likelihood of blood clots forming in the pump, decreases the risk of damage to blood cells, improves the pumping characteristics of the device, and decreases or eliminates the chance of foreign fluids passing into the blood stream should a tear or break occur in the bladder.