Patents Assigned to TC1 LLC
  • Catheter pump with access ports
    Patent number: 10576192
    Abstract: A catheter pump is disclosed herein. The catheter pump can include an elongate catheter body and an impeller assembly coupled to a distal portion of the elongate catheter body. The impeller assembly can comprise an impeller configured to rotate during operation of the catheter pump. A tube can extend through at least portions of the elongate catheter body and the impeller assembly. The tube can extend distal the impeller and can be configured to remain in the portions of the elongate catheter body and the impeller assembly during operation of the catheter pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Paul F. Muller, Keif M. Fitzgerald, Richard L. Keenan
  • Motor assembly for catheter pump
    Patent number: 10576193
    Abstract: A catheter pump is disclosed herein. The catheter pump can include a catheter assembly that comprises a drive shaft and an impeller coupled to a distal end of the drive shaft. A driven assembly can be coupled to a proximal end of the drive shaft within a driven assembly housing. The catheter pump can also include a drive system that comprises a motor and a drive magnet coupled to an output shaft of the motor. The drive system can include a drive assembly housing having at least one magnet therein. Further, a securement device can be configured to prevent disengagement of the driven assembly housing from the drive assembly housing during operation of the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Adam R. Tanner, Richard L. Keenan, Doug M. Messner, Michael R. Butler
  • Systems and Methods for Inertial Sensing for VAD Diagnostics and Closed Loop Control
    Publication number: 20200023112
    Abstract: A blood circulation assist system includes a ventricular assist device (VAD) and a controller. The VAD is attachable to a heart of a patient to pump blood from a ventricle of the heart into a blood vessel of the patient. The VAD includes an impeller, a motor stator operable to rotate the impeller, and an accelerometer generating an accelerometer output indicative of accelerations of the VAD. The controller controls operation of the motor stator to control rotational speed of the impeller based on the accelerometer output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: John Freddy Hansen, John Donald Hill, Peter Andriola, Daniel I. Harjes, Eric Lee, Gionata Valchera, Nichole Rondeau, Urim Salltakaj
  • Ventricular cuff
    Patent number: 10525177
    Abstract: An implantable system includes a ventricular assist device (VAD), a cuff for attachment to a heart, and a latching mechanism attached to the VAD. The VAD includes an inlet cannula. The cuff defines an outward facing circumferential groove and an opening for the inlet cannula. The cuff includes a plurality of ridges disposed at least partially within the outward facing circumferential groove. The latching mechanism is reconfigurable between an unlatched configuration in which the latching mechanism accommodates insertion of the inlet cannula into the opening and a latched configuration in which the latching mechanism is engaged with the cuff to restrain the position of the inlet cannula relative to the cuff and engaged with at least one of the plurality of ridges to block rotation of the VAD relative to the cuff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Justin Aron Callaway, Christopher James Cotter, Cori Pierce, Maria Dominika Kulinski, Ben Gamulo, Kevin Bourque, Jeff Narum
  • Catheter pump assembly including a stator
    Patent number: 10525178
    Abstract: A catheter pump assembly is provided that includes a proximal a distal portion, a catheter body, an impeller, and a flow modifying structure. The catheter body has a lumen that extends along a longitudinal axis between the proximal and distal portions. The impeller is disposed at the distal portion. The impeller includes a blade with a trailing edge. The flow modifying structure is disposed downstream of the impeller. The flow modifying structure has a plurality of blades having a leading edge substantially parallel to and in close proximity to the trailing edge of the blade of the impeller and an expanse extending downstream from the leading edge. In some embodiments, the expanse has a first region with higher curvature and a second region with lower curvature. The first region is between the leading edge and the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: Zijing Zeng
  • Resonant power transfer system and method of estimating system state
    Patent number: 10525181
    Abstract: Systems for tuning a wireless power transfer system are provided, which may include any number of features. In one embodiment, a wireless power transfer system can include a transmit controller connected to the transmitter resonator and configured to measure an impedance on the transmitter resonator. The transmit controller can be configured to determine a load resistance of the receiver resonator and a coupling coefficient between the transmitter and receiver resonators based on the measured impedance on the transmitter resonator. The transmit controller can be further configured to adjust a power transmission parameter of the transmitter resonator based on the determined load resistance and the coupling coefficient to achieve a controlled voltage at a load of the receiver. Methods of use are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: Ethan Petersen
  • Surgical tunneler
    Patent number: 10524830
    Abstract: A surgical tunneler assembly is used to pass a cable or other elongate member through the skin. A surgical tunneler may include a lance including a first segment, a second end segment, and a connector on each one of the first end segment and the second end segment. A cable adapter includes a lance connection portion and a cable connection portion. The lance connection portion engages and disengages the connectors. The cable connection portion engages and disengages a cable. A handle engages and disengages the lance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Pieter W. C. J. le Blanc, John Nguyen, Keith Kearsley, Julien Duhamel
  • Heart beat identification and pump speed synchronization
    Patent number: 10506935
    Abstract: A method for synchronizing operation of a heart assist pump device to a patient's cardiac cycle includes obtaining a signal from a motor of a heart assist pump device and filtering the signal to remove noise. The method also includes determining a speed synchronization start point at which time the motor of the heart assist pump device will begin a change in speed of operation based on the filtered signal. The method further includes modulating a speed of the motor of the heart assist pump device to a target speed at the speed synchronization start point, thereby synchronizing the change in speed of operation with a patient's cardiac cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Medvedev, Shunzhou Yu, Ren You
  • Implantable blood pump
    Patent number: 10500321
    Abstract: A method for assisting blood circulation in a patient includes drawing a flow of blood from a patient's heart into a blood flow channel formed by a housing. The flow of blood is passed through a motor stator to a rotor disposed within the blood flow channel. The motor stator is arranged circumferentially around the blood flow channel. The rotor has permanent magnetic poles for magnetic levitation and rotation of the rotor. The motor stator is controlled to act as a radial bearing for magnetic levitation of the rotor and to rotate the rotor within the blood flow channel. The rotor is levitated within the blood flow channel in the direction of the rotor axis of rotation via passive magnetic interaction between the rotor and the motor stator. The flow of blood is output from the blood flow channel to the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: Kevin Bourque
  • Systems for LVAD operation during communication losses
    Patent number: 10500324
    Abstract: Systems and devices for an adaptable blood pump are disclosed herein. The blood pump can be part of a mechanical circulatory support system that can include a system controller and the blood pump. The blood pump can include a rotary motor and a control unit that can communicate with the system controller. The blood pump can determine when communication with the system controller is established or has been lost. The blood pump can retrieve one or several back-up parameters when communication with the system controller has been lost, and can operate according to these back-up parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Christian Schade, Andre Siebenhaar
  • Blood Pump Controllers
    Publication number: 20190365972
    Abstract: An implantable blood pump system is disclosed herein. The implantable blood pump system includes an implantable blood pump and a controller coupled to the blood pump. The controller includes a partially sealed housing defining an internal volume. The controller includes an energy storage component contained within the internal volume and a processor. The processor can generate one or several signals affecting operation of the implantable blood pump. The controller includes a connector receptacle including a plurality of contacts selectively coupled via a circuitry to the energy storage component. The circuitry can electrically couple the plurality of contacts to the energy storage component when a connector insert is received within the connector receptacle and deactivate the plurality of contacts from the energy storage component when the connector insert is not within the connector receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Dustin Roelle, Joseph C. Stark, III, Ethan Petersen, Jaime Arturo Romero
  • Sensor mounting in an implantable blood pump
    Patent number: 10485911
    Abstract: Techniques for mounting a sensor are disclosed. In some implementations, a molded interconnect device carries a sensor for transducing a position of a rotor of the implantable blood pump. The molded interconnect device includes one or more integrated electronic circuit traces configured to electrically connect the Hall sensor with a printed circuit board of the implantable blood pump, and the molded interconnect device is configured to be mounted to the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Mark McChrystal, Joseph C. Stark, III
  • Devices and Methods for Monitoring Bearing and Seal Performance
    Publication number: 20190343998
    Abstract: Blood pump devices having one or more sensors for monitoring performance of a bearing assembly and/or a fluid-tight seal are provided herein. Such devices are particularly useful in blood pump devices that have cantilevered rotors supported by a sealed mechanical bearing disposed outside a blood flow path of the device to avoid thrombus formation caused by blood contact with the bearing. The one or more sensors can include one or more accelerometers adapted to detect movement of the bearing assembly along one or more axes during operation of the pump. A vibration profile can be determined from the movement data from the one or more sensors that is indicative of performance of the bearing assembly and/or seal so as to allow monitoring over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: William V. Hodges
  • Implantable medical devices
    Patent number: 10471193
    Abstract: An active implantable medical device comprising a therapeutic device, a controller and at least one rechargeable battery, wherein a single hermetically sealed housing encapsulates a therapeutic device, controller and rechargeable battery. A hermetically sealed housing additionally encapsulates a wireless interface and a commutator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Peter Andrew Crosby, John Woodard
  • Rotary Blood Pump With Opposing Spindle Magnets, Bore And Drive Windings
    Publication number: 20190336663
    Abstract: Various “contactless” bearing mechanisms including hydrodynamic and magnetic bearings are provided for a rotary pump as alternatives to mechanical contact bearings. In one embodiment, a pump apparatus includes a pump housing defining a pumping chamber. The housing has a spindle extending into the pumping chamber. A spindle magnet assembly includes first and second magnets disposed within the spindle. The first and second magnets are arranged proximate each other with their respective magnetic vectors opposing each other. The lack of mechanical contact bearings enables longer life pump operation and less damage to working fluids such as blood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Richard K. Wampler, David M. Lancisi
  • Improved Blood Pump Connectors
    Publication number: 20190334283
    Abstract: An implantable blood pump system is disclosed herein. The implantable blood pump system includes an implantable blood pump, a controller coupled to the blood pump, a connector receptacle, and a connector insert. The connector receptacle can include a plurality of contacts, and a following surface. The connector insert can be received within the connector receptacle to couple a plurality of insert contacts with the plurality of contacts of the connector receptacle. The connector insert can include walls defining a follower receptacle that can receive a portion of the following surface when the connector insert is in a desired alignment with respect to the connector receptacle, and a cam surface that can engage with the following surface to bias the connector insert to the desired alignment with respect to the connector receptacle when the connector insert is inserted into the connector receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: John Mark Di Paola, Michael McCoy, John Duc Nguyen, Jaime Romero, Dustin Roelle, Andrew Wong, Dmitry Protsenko, Michael Sahines
  • Cardiac pump with speed adapted for ventricle unloading
    Patent number: 10456513
    Abstract: A blood pump system is implantable in a patient for ventricular support. A pumping chamber has an inlet for receiving blood from a ventricle of the patient. An impeller is received in the pumping chamber. A motor is coupled to the impeller for driving rotation of the impeller. A motor controller is provided for tracking systolic and diastolic phases of a cardiac cycle of the patient and supplying a variable voltage signal to the motor in a variable speed mode to produce a variable impeller speed linked to the cardiac cycle. The impeller speed comprises a ramping up to an elevated speed during the diastolic phase in order to reduce a load on the ventricle at the beginning of the systolic phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Medvedev, Masamichi Yanai
  • Guide features for percutaneous catheter pump
    Patent number: 10449279
    Abstract: A catheter assembly can include a cannula disposed at a distal portion of the catheter assembly. The cannula can have a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The cannula can be arranged to permit the flow of blood therethrough when in the expanded configuration. The catheter assembly can comprise a tip member coupled with a distal portion of the cannula. A guide feature can be configured to receive a guidewire through a guide lumen formed through the guide feature. The catheter assembly can be configured such that, when the catheter assembly is inserted into a patient with the guidewire, the guidewire passes through the guide lumen and along at least a portion of an outer surface of the catheter assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: Paul F. Muller
  • Prevention of Aortic Valve Fusion
    Publication number: 20190314563
    Abstract: Materials and methods related to blood pump systems are described. These can be used in patients to, for example, monitor arterial pressure, measure blood flow, maintain left ventricular pressure within a particular range, avoid left ventricular collapse, prevent fusion of the aortic valve in a subject having a blood pump, and provide a means to wean a patient from a blood pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: Victor Poirier
  • ALTERNATING PUMP GAPS
    Publication number: 20190301467
    Abstract: A blood pump system includes a pump housing and an impeller for rotating in a pump chamber within the housing. The impeller has a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The system includes a stator having drive coils for applying a torque to the impeller and at least one bearing mechanism for suspending the impeller within the pump chamber. The system includes a position control mechanism for moving the impeller in an axial direction within the pump chamber to adjust a size of a first gap and a size of a second gap, thereby controlling a washout rate at each of the first gap and the second gap. The first gap is defined by a distance between the first side and the housing and the second gap is defined by a distance between the second side and the pump housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Masamichi Yanai, Shunzhou Yu, Tao Zhang