Patents Assigned to TC1 LLC
  • Communication methods and architecture for heart treatment systems
    Patent number: 11065436
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to heart treatment systems. In some aspects, methods and systems are provided for facilitating communication between implanted devices. For example, an implantable cardiac rhythm management device may be configured to communicate with an implantable blood pump. The implantable cardiac rhythm management device may deliver heart stimulation rate information in addition to information associated with any detected abnormalities in heart function. In response, the pump may be configured to adjust pumping by the pump to better accommodate a patient's particular needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Daniel I. Harjes, John Freddy Hansen, Joseph C. Stark, III, Ghazal Anvar Mauro, Eric Lee, Justin A. Callaway, Onur Dur
  • Catheter pump
    Patent number: 11058865
    Abstract: A catheter pump is provided that includes a rotatable impeller and an elongate cannula. The elongate cannula has a mesh that has a plurality of circumferential members disposed about the impeller. The elongate cannula has a plurality of axial connector extending between a proximal side of a distal circumferential member and a distal side of a proximal circumferential member. The circumferential members are radially self-expandable. The cannula is configured to minimize fracture within at least in the distal zone of the mesh as the elongated cannula moves into a sheathing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Keif M. Fitzgerald, Richard L. Keenan, William J. Harrison
  • Bearingless Implantable Blood Pump
    Publication number: 20210205600
    Abstract: Implantable blood pumps and related methods employ a compact rotary motor. The compact rotary motor includes a stator and a rotor. The stator is disposed within a housing circumferentially about a dividing wall such that a blood flow conduit extends through the stator. The stator is disposed circumferentially around at least a portion of the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Nyikos, Bernhard Warberger
  • Sheath system for catheter pump
    Patent number: 11045638
    Abstract: A catheter pump assembly is provided that includes an elongate polymeric catheter body, a cannula, and a tubular interface. The elongate polymeric catheter body has a proximal end and a distal end. The cannula has an expandable portion disposed distally of the elongate polymeric catheter body. The cannula can also have another tubular portion that is proximal to the distal portion. The tubular interface has an outer surface configured to be joined to the tubular portion of the cannula and an inner surface. The inner surface is disposed over the distal end of the elongate polymeric catheter body. The tubular interface has a plurality of transverse channels extending outward from the inner surface of the tubular interface. An outer surface of the elongate polymeric catheter body projects into the transverse channels to mechanically integrate the elongate polymeric catheter body with the tubular interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Richard L. Keenan, Keif M. Fitzgerald, Veronica J. Neiman, Phyllis Yuen
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE POSITION OF A LEVITATED ROTOR
    Publication number: 20210187275
    Abstract: A rotary machine is provided which may include a rotor and a stator within a housing. The stator may be for generating a rotating magnetic field for applying a torque to the rotor. A commutator circuit may provide a plurality of phase voltages to the stator, and a controller may adjust the plurality of phase voltages provided by the commutator circuit to modify an attractive force of the stator on the rotor to move the rotor in an axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Shunzhou Yu, Alexander Medvedev, Ren You
  • Flow estimation using hall-effect sensors and/or magnetic bearing currents
    Patent number: 11040188
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for estimating flow rate in a blood circulation assist system employing impeller eccentricity. A method includes magnetically rotating an impeller within a blood flow channel of a blood pump. The impeller is levitated within the blood flow channel transverse to the impeller axis of rotation. A rotational speed for the impeller is determined. At least one impeller transverse position parameter is determined. The at least one impeller transverse position parameter is based on at least one of (1) an amount of a bearing current that is used to levitate the impeller transverse to the impeller axis of rotation, and (2) a position of the impeller within the blood flow channel transverse to the impeller axis of rotation. A flow rate of blood pumped by the blood pump is estimated based on the impeller rotational speed and the at least one impeller transverse position parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: Christopher J. Cotter
  • Fluid handling system
    Patent number: 11033728
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a fluid handling system are disclosed herein. For example, the fluid handling system can include a catheter assembly and a console configured to control the operation of the catheter assembly. A removable interface member can be configured to provide fluid and electrical communication between the catheter assembly and the console. Additionally, a control system is disclosed for controlling operation of the fluid handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Alan L. Schenck, Paul F. Muller, Keif M. Fitzgerald
  • Blood pump connectors
    Patent number: 11031729
    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: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: John Mark Di Paola, Michael McCoy, John Duc Nguyen, Jaime Romero, Dustin Roelle, Andrew Wong, Dmitry Protsenko, Michael Sahines
  • POLYMER COATINGS FOR SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS FOR USE IN PERCUTANEOUS HEART PUMPS
    Publication number: 20210162200
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to percutaneous heart pumps including a self-expandable and collapsible impeller housing fabricated from a mesh of a shape memory alloy, such as nitinol, and a base polymer coating and a top polymer coating. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to highly flexible and fluid-impermissible polymer coatings having improved adherence and performance properties on the metallic surfaces of the impeller housing mesh thus improving the overall performance of the percutaneous heart pumps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoping GUO, David PANUS
  • Mechanical Gauge for Estimating Inductance Changes in Resonant Power Transfer Systems With Flexible Coils for Use With Implanted Medical Devices
    Publication number: 20210154465
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for improving wireless power transmission are disclosed herein. A method of powering an implantable ventricular assist device with an external charging device includes receiving a signal indicative of a change in a property of a deformable coil of the resonant circuit. A performance property of the deformable coil is determined based on the signal. An adjustment to a tuning of the resonant circuit is identified based on the performance property of the deformable coil. The resonant circuit is tuned according to the adjustment to the tuning of the resonant circuit. The resonant circuit is driven to transmit power to a secondary coil electrically coupled with the implantable ventricular assist device to power the ventricular assist device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: John Freddy Hansen
  • Alternating pump gaps
    Patent number: 11015605
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Masamichi Yanai, Shunzhou Yu, Tao Zhang
  • Heart Pump Driveline Power Modulation
    Publication number: 20210138229
    Abstract: Systems and method for powering an implanted blood pump are disclosed herein. The system can be a mechanical circulatory support system. The mechanical circulatory support system can include an implantable blood pump. The implantable blood pump includes a DC powered pump control unit that can control the blood pump according to one or several stored instructions. The implantable blood pump includes a rectifier electrically connected to the pump control unit. The implantable rectifier can convert the AC to DC for powering the pump control unit. The system can include an external controller electrically connected to the rectifier. The external controller can provide AC electrical power to the implantable blood pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: Ethan F. Petersen
  • Heart Pump Cuff
    Publication number: 20210121677
    Abstract: At least some embodiments of the disclosure may advantageously limit bleeding and the occurrence of blood leaks after heart pump implantation. In some embodiments, a base may be provided that includes a flexible layer mechanically coupled with a conduit. The flexible layer may be coupled with the proximal end of the conduit. The conduit may be configured to receive a cannula of the heart pump therethrough. The outer surface of the conduit may be configured to engage a surface of the heart formed after coring the heart. The conduit may be metal and may have a flared and/or beveled distal end. The conduit may be a flexible material. A distal flexible layer may be provided at a distal end of the conduit that is configured to engage with an inner surface of the heart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: John Duc Nguyen, Huy Ngo, Carine Hoarau, Fabian Franco
  • Pressure/Flow Characteristic Modification of a Centrifugal Pump in a Ventricular Assist Device
    Publication number: 20210113828
    Abstract: A ventricular assist device is disclosed. The ventricular assist device may include a centrifugal pump and a controller. The controller may be configured to cause the centrifugal pump to operate at a first speed above a predetermined flow rate. The controller may also be configured to cause the centrifugal pump to operate at a second speed below the predetermined flow rate, wherein the predetermined flowrate is indicative of a crossover point between systole and diastole phases of a person's cardiac cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Medvedev, Muhammad Sami
  • Cardiac pump with speed adapted for ventricle unloading
    Patent number: 10980928
    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: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Medvedev, Masamichi Yanai
  • Bearingless implantable blood pump
    Patent number: 10973967
    Abstract: Implantable blood pumps and related methods employ a compact rotary motor. The compact rotary motor includes a stator and a rotor. The stator includes a stator core and stator coils. The stator core includes a toroidal portion. Each of the stator coils extends around a respective segment of the toroidal portion. The stator being disposed within the housing circumferentially about the dividing wall such that the blood flow conduit extends through the stator core. The stator core is disposed circumferentially around at least a portion of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Nyikos, Bernhard Warberger
  • Generating Artificial Pulse
    Publication number: 20210077688
    Abstract: Mechanical circulatory assist systems and related methods produce a pulsatile blood flow in synchronization with heart activity. A mechanical circulatory assist system includes a continuous-flow pump and a controller. The continuous-flow pump is implantable in fluid communication with a left ventricle of a heart of a patient and an aorta of the patient to assist blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta. The controller includes a sensor that generates a signal indicative of an activity of the heart. The controller is operatively connected to the continuous-flow pump and configured to operate the continuous-flow pump in an artificial pulse mode in synchronization with the activity of the heart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: Kevin Bourque
  • Mechanical gauge for estimating inductance changes in resonant power transfer systems with flexible coils for use with implanted medical devices
    Patent number: 10940251
    Abstract: Systems and devices for improving wireless power transmission are disclosed herein. The system can include an implantable medical device that can include an energy storage component and a secondary coil electrically coupled to the energy storage component. The system can include a charging device. The charging device can include a flexible housing defining an internal volume, a resonant circuit, a plurality of sensors coupled to the primary coil, and processor. The resonant circuit can include a deformable primary coil located within the internal volume of the housing. The processor can determine a deformation of the primary coil based on at least one signal received from at least one of the plurality of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventor: John Freddy Hansen
  • HEART BEAT IDENTIFICATION AND PUMP SPEED SYNCHRONIZATION
    Publication number: 20210038086
    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: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Applicant: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Medvedev, Shunzhou Yu, Ren You
  • Systems and methods for locating implanted wireless power transmission devices
    Patent number: 10898292
    Abstract: A system for locating an implanted device including magnetic coils within a subject is provided. The system includes a magnetic sensor array including a plurality of magnetic sensors, the magnetic sensor array configured to measure a magnetic field generated by the implanted device, and a position detection module communicatively coupled to the magnetic sensor array, the position detection module configured to receive the measured magnetic field from the magnetic sensor array, and calculate a position of the implanted device based on the measured magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: TC1 LLC
    Inventors: John Freddy Hansen, Christopher Eskildsen