Abstract: Connectors interfacing a mechanical circulatory system with a patient's natural vasculature are provided herein. Such connectors include aortic connectors that facilitate fluid coupling of an outflow graft tube from an implanted blood pump with a patient's aorta. Aortic connectors can include a substantially planar portion configured for sealed attachment with a wall of the aorta and a tubular connector portion extending from an inlet opening to an outlet opening. The substantially planar portion can include a flexible membrane for attachment to an outer surface of the aorta and/or a flange for engagement with an inner surface of the aorta. The tubular connector can extend from the substantially planar portion at a pre-determined angle and include one or more attachment features to facilitate rapid fluidly sealed attachment to the outflow graft tube.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for improved cooling of an implantable blood pump are disclosed herein. The implantable blood pump can include: a pump housing defining an internal volume and including a wall defining a blood flow conduit extending through the pump housing; a rotor including a magnet and located within the blood flow conduit; a magnetic core located in the internal volume and extending circumferentially around the blood flow conduit and the rotor, which magnetic core terminates proximate to the wall; a controller located in the internal volume; and a thermal conductor contacting and preferentially thermally connecting the controller and the magnetic core, wherein the thermal conductor is electrically non-conductive.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of a failure of a rectifier connected to a passive harmonic filter with a tuned circuit reactor, or of the filter itself, and for generating system currents in the filter, using low cost voltage sensing, modeling of reactor resistance and saturable inductance, and a mathematical integration. The harmonic spectrum of the rectifier current is used to determine an estimate of the rectifier impedance. A template of expected rectifier current is calculated, and compared against a rectifier current calculated on the basis of sensed voltages, to generate a difference signal. The difference signal is compared against a predetermined fault threshold to determine if an error has occurred. The apparatus includes a DSP obtaining the voltages of the source and load, and the tuned circuit reactor voltage, calculating the template, and comparing the actual voltages with the template, to annunciate a fault.

Abstract: A reactor assembly including a first core formed of a plurality of stacked E-shaped planar metal laminates welded together, and a second core formed of a plurality of stacked I-shaped planar metal laminates welded together. The first core includes a plurality of legs having bottom surfaces, the plurality of legs including first and second outer legs and a center leg. A bobbin assembly is provided with a plurality of bobbins each having a hollow inner cavity, and wire wound around the bobbin. The plurality of bobbins including first and second outer bobbins and a center bobbin. A U-shaped spring clip includes a pair of clip arms that each extend down through a different one of the inner cavities, and tab apertures that are engaged with matching latching tabs on the second core, such as on a mounting foot secured to the second core.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are heart pumps that can include a catheter body and an impeller coupled with a distal end of the catheter body. The impeller can include a tip that is resealable or that includes a resealable member. The heart pump can also include a diffuser disposed between the distal end of the catheter body and the impeller, wherein the diffuser includes a flow directing surface.

Abstract: A connector assembly for connecting external power sources to an implanted medical device enables continual supply of electrical power to the implanted medical device during replacement of an external power source. A connector assembly includes a distal driveline contact assembly, a first driveline contact assembly, and a second driveline contact assembly. The second driveline contact assembly is connectable to the distal driveline contact assembly prior to disconnection of the first driveline contact assembly from the distal driveline contact assembly.

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.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a collapsible and self-expanding cannula for a percutaneous heart pump. The collapsible and self-expanding cannula comprises an open proximal end, an open distal end, and an elongate fluid-impermissible wall structure that includes a first balloon film, a cannula strut, and a second balloon film. The first balloon film is disposed on an interior surface of the cannula, the second balloon film is disposed on the exterior surface of the cannula, and the cannula strut is between the two balloon films. Together they form an integrated hybrid structure upon thermal fusion bonding. Also disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing the collapsible and self-expanding cannula.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of a failure of a rectifier connected to a passive harmonic filter with a tuned circuit reactor, or of the filter itself, using low cost voltage sensing, modeling of reactor resistance and saturable inductance, and a mathematical integration. The harmonic spectrum of the rectifier current is used to determine an estimate of the rectifier impedance. A template of expected rectifier current is calculated, and compared against a rectifier current calculated on the basis of sensed voltages, to generate a difference signal. The difference signal is compared against a predetermined fault threshold to determine if an error has occurred. The apparatus includes a DSP obtaining the voltages of the source and load, and the tuned circuit reactor voltage, and configured to compare the currents calculated from the actual voltages with the currents in the template, and to thereby determine whether to annunciate a fault.

Abstract: An impeller includes a hub and a blade supported by the hub. The impeller has a stored configuration in which the blade is compressed so that its distal end moves towards the hub, and a deployed configuration in which the blade extends away from the hub. The impeller may be part of a pump for pumping fluids, such as blood, and may include a cannula having a proximal portion with a fixed diameter, and a distal portion with an expandable diameter. The impeller may reside in the expandable portion of the cannula. The cannula may have a compressed diameter which allows it to be inserted percutaneously into a patient. Once at a desired location, the expandable portion of the cannula may be expanded and the impeller expanded to the deployed configuration. A flexible drive shaft may extend through the cannula for rotationally driving the impeller within the patient.

Abstract: Mechanical circulatory assist systems and related methods accommodate the connection of a second patient interface module used to control a circulatory assist pump without having to disconnect a first patient interface module used to control the circulatory assist pump. A mechanical circulatory assist system includes a blood pump, a first patient interface module, and a first connector. The first patient interface module is operatively coupled with the blood pump and configured to control operation of the blood pump. The first connector is operatively coupled with the blood pump and configured to couple with a second patient interface module configured to control operation of the blood pump without decoupling of the first interface module from the blood pump.

Abstract: A system for omni-orientational wireless energy transfer is described. A transmitter unit has a transmitter resonator with a coil that is configured to be coupled to a power supply to wirelessly transmit power to a receiver unit. A receiver unit has a receiver resonator with a coil coupled to a device load. At least one of the resonators is a non-planar resonator that spans a non-degenerate two-dimensional surface having at least one concave portion.

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.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of a failure of a rectifier connected to a passive harmonic filter with a tuned circuit reactor, or of the filter itself, using low cost voltage sensing, modeling of reactor resistance and saturable inductance, and a mathematical integration. The harmonic spectrum of the rectifier current is used to determine an estimate of the rectifier impedance. A template of expected rectifier current is calculated, and compared against a rectifier current calculated on the basis of sensed voltages, to generate a difference signal. The difference signal is compared against a predetermined fault threshold to determine if an error has occurred. The apparatus includes a DSP obtaining the voltages of the source and load, and the tuned circuit reactor voltage, and configured to compare the currents calculated from the actual voltages with the currents in the template, and to thereby determine whether to annunciate a fault.

Abstract: A mechanical circulatory support system includes an implantable blood pump, an implantable prosthetic rib assembly, and an implantable drive cable. The prosthetic rib assembly includes a prosthetic rib segment and a percutaneous electrical connector mounted to the prosthetic rib segment. The prosthetic rib segment is configured to be mounted to a patient's rib in place of a resected segment of the patient's rib. The electrical connector includes a skin interface portion configured to interface with an edge of a skin aperture through the patient's skin. The electrical connector is configured to expose a connection port of the electrical connector via the skin aperture. The implantable power cable is connected with or configured to be connected with each of the blood pump and the percutaneous electrical connector for transferring electric power received by the percutaneous electrical connector to the blood pump.

Abstract: Systems and methods for wireless energy transfer are described. A transmitter unit has a transmitter resonator with a coil that is coupled to a power supply to wirelessly transmit power to a receiver unit. A receiver unit has a receiver resonator with a coil coupled to a device load. The receiver unit can include a ferrite enclosure to prevent transmission of magnetic flux into electronics of the receiver unit, and can include ferrite fins to increase a coupling between the transmitter resonator and the receiver resonator.

Abstract: Thermal management solutions for wireless power transfer systems are provided, which may include any number of features. In one embodiment, an implantable wireless power receiver includes at least one thermal layer disposed on an interior surface of the receiver configured to conduct heat from a central portion of the receiver towards edges of the receiver. The thermal layer can comprise, for example, a copper layer or a ceramic layer embedded in an acrylic polymer matrix. In some embodiments, a plurality of thermal channels can be formed within the receiver to transport heat from central regions of the receiver towards edges of the receiver via free convection. In yet another embodiment, a fluid pipe can be connected to the receiver and be configured to carry heat from the receiver to a location remote from the receiver. Methods of use are also provided.

Abstract: An implantable blood pump includes a control unit storing patient specific settings. The control unit is configured to store patient specific settings. The patient specific settings can be used to determine a target operating speed for the blood pump and/or a target operating mode for the blood pump. The patient specific settings can include at least one of an operating mode for the pump, a set speed for the pump, a lower speed limit for the pump, a patient hematocrit value, a patient hematocrit date, a patient blood density, and a periodic log rate for event and periodic data.

Abstract: A reactor assembly including a first core formed of a plurality of stacked E-shaped planar metal laminates welded together, and a second core formed of a plurality of stacked I-shaped planar metal laminates welded together. The first core includes a plurality of legs having bottom surfaces, the plurality of legs including first and second outer legs and a center leg. A bobbin assembly is provided with a plurality of bobbins each having a hollow inner cavity, and wire wound around the bobbin. The plurality of bobbins including first and second outer bobbins and a center bobbin. A U-shaped spring clip includes a pair of clip arms that each extend down through a different one of the inner cavities, and tab apertures that are engaged with matching latching tabs on the second core, such as on a mounting foot secured to the second core.

Abstract: A method for outputting a combined power source alarm for an implantable blood pump includes determining a status for each of first and second power sources of the blood pump. A combined power source alarm based on the statuses of the first and second power sources is outputted. A method for generating an alarm based on fault detections in a mechanically assisted circulation system includes processing a series of fault detection indications to classify a fault as active or inactive. An alarm is generated if the fault is active for more than a predetermined amount of time.