Abstract: Method and System of lubricating at least one moving part with a medium. The medium includes a dissolved mixture of lubricant and compressed gas. The amount of lubricant and compressed gas may be controlled in forming the dissolved mixture in response to input conditions. A user and/or external factors may be used to determine the input conditions. In response to the input conditions the amount of lubricant and compressed gas is delivered to the moving part that is housed in a pressurized chamber. The properties of the dissolved mixture can be adjusted, whereby the properties may include, but are not limited to, the following: viscosity, temperature, and thermal conductivity. This adjustment to the gas may be accomplished, for example, by releasing gas from the pressurized chamber in an amount to adjust the properties. In a further approach, lubricant may be scavenged from the pressurized chamber by returning surplus lubricant to its original source or other designated location.

Abstract: A pump for pumping sensitive fluids, such as blood, has no mechanical contact between the impeller and any other structure.

Abstract: Method and System of lubricating at least one moving part with a medium. The medium includes a dissolved mixture of lubricant and compressed gas. The amount of lubricant and compressed gas may be controlled in forming the dissolved mixture in response to input conditions. A user and/or external factors may be used to determine the input conditions. In response to the input conditions the amount of lubricant and compressed gas is delivered to the moving part that is housed in a pressurized chamber. The properties of the dissolved mixture can be adjusted, whereby the properties may include, but are not limited to, the following: viscosity, temperature, and thermal conductivity. This adjustment to the gas may be accomplished, for example, by releasing gas from the pressurized chamber in an amount to adjust the properties. In a further approach, lubricant may be scavenged from the pressurized chamber by returning surplus lubricant to its original source or other designated location.

Abstract: A magnetic bearing system and related method that utilizes self-sensing in order to determine and adjust the position of a shaft within the bearing. Magnetic bearings levitate a rotating object with a magnetic field and are unstable in open-loop operation. Position feedback control is required to maintain a rotor in a centered position. The system and related method uses a unique design to sense the position of the rotating object with greater accuracy. It comprises coils which are used both to detect and adjust the position of the rotating object and a control system which supplies signals in a time-multiplexed manner in order to determine the position with accuracy while still allowing the same coils that are used to detect position to also supply a field to control the position of the rotor.

Abstract: An extremely energy efficient, compact, integrated hybrid five axis passive and active magnetic bearing system is developed for suspending a rotor within a non-rotating stator without conventional rolling element or fluid film bearings wherein 1) an axial permanent magnetic set of poles generates a magnetic flux path creating an axial repulsive force which keeps the rotor axially centered in the stator without using a thrust disk or radial thrust faces, 2) two radial electromagnetic bearings generate radial magnetic flux paths which create radial forces which keep the rotor radially centered in the housing, and 3) an integrated axial/radial permanent flux path which provides a bias flux for the radial bearings.

Abstract: An orthotic device/system and method including at least one energy storage component and at least one trigger component which prevents release of the stored energy until the desired point in the movement cycle of an extremity. Use of the device/system and method permits, among other things, the orthosis to capture energy from the force present between a patient and a supporting surface and return it at a specified point in the movement cycle of the subject's extremity.

Abstract: A pump for pumping sensitive fluids, such as blood, has no mechanical contact between the impeller and any other structure.

Abstract: A blood pump has an impeller rotatably disposed and magnetically suspended within a cavity of a stator by a plurality of magnetic bearings (passive permanent and active electromagnetic) having impeller magnets on the impeller and stator magnets or coils/poles on the stator. A motor includes impeller magnets on the impeller and coils/poles associated with the stator. A single, annular blood flow path extends axially through the cavity between the impeller and the stator, and between the impeller magnets on the impeller and the stator magnets or the coils/poles on the stator.

Abstract: A blood pump has an impeller rotatably disposed and magnetically suspended within a cavity of a stator by a plurality of magnetic bearings including an axial bearing to support the impeller axially in the cavity. The axial bearing includes adjacent impeller magnets and adjacent stator magnets with axially aligned polarities and reverse polarities with respect to adjacent magnets. A motor includes impeller magnets on the impeller and coils and poles associated with the stator. Radial permanent magnet and electromagnetic bearings are also included. The magnetic bearings and the motor have stator magnets or coils and poles disposed radially across the fluid passage from corresponding impeller magnets to define an annular gap positioned radially between the impeller and the stator, and positioned radially between all of the plurality of magnetic bearings, creating a straight through blood path without secondary flow paths.

Abstract: Rotor systems are provided comprising rotor, magnetic bearings and a magnetic bearing controller. The controller is one which varies in accordance with linear parameters and is preferably responsive to linear matrix inequalities. High speed, low loss flywheel systems, especially electromagnetic flywheel batteries are facilitated through such rotor systems.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a centrifugal fluid pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids, which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is entirely supported by an integral combination of permanent magnets and electromagnetic bearings and rotated by an integral motor, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing of impeller position, velocity or acceleration using a self-sensing method and physiological control algorithm for motor speed and pump performance based upon input from the electromagnetic bearing currents and motor back emf—all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a centrifugal fluid pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids, which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is entirely supported by an integral combination of permanent magnets and electromagnetic bearings and rotated by an integral motor, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing of impeller position, velocity or acceleration using a self-sensing method and physiological control algorithm for motor speed and pump performance based upon input from the electromagnetic bearing currents and motor back emf—all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Abstract: An inventive blood pump in accordance with this invention includes a housing that has inlet and outlet ports for receiving and discharging blood. A rotor is positioned in the housing's interior for pumping blood between the housing's inlet and outlet ports, with the rotor being capable of motion in three translational and three rotational axes. An assembly for magnetically suspending and rotating the rotor in a contact-free manner with respect to the housing includes only one electromagnetic bearing that actively controls motion of the rotor with respect to one axis selected from the rotor's three translational and three rotational axes, an electromagnetic motor that actively drives motion of the rotor with respect to one of its three rotational axes, and magnetic bearings for passively controlling motion of the rotor with respect to the remaining four of its translational and rotational axes. The inventive blood pump can also be incorporated into an artificial heart.

Abstract: Rotor systems are provided comprising rotor, magnetic bearings and a magnetic bearing controller. The controller is one which varies in accordance with linear parameters and is preferably responsive to linear matrix inequalities. High speed, low loss flywheel systems, especially electromagnetic flywheel batteries are facilitated through such rotor systems.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a centrifugal pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is electromagnetically supported and rotated, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing and control algorithms—all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Abstract: Rotor systems are provided comprising rotor, magnetic bearings and a magnetic bearing controller. The controller is one which varies in accordance with linear parameters and is preferably responsive to linear matrix inequalities. High speed, low loss flywheel systems, especially electromagnetic flywheel batteries are facilitated through such rotor systems.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a centrifugal fluid pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids, which includes (i) an integral impeller and rotor which is entirely supported by an integral combination of permanent magnets and electromagnetic bearings and rotated by an integral motor, (ii) a pump housing and arcuate passages for fluid flow and containment, (iii) a brushless driving motor embedded and integral with the pump housing, (iv) a power supply, and (v) specific electronic sensing of impeller position, velocity or acceleration using a self-sensing method and physiological control algorithm for motor speed and pump performance based upon input from the electromagnetic bearing currents and motor back emf--all fitly joined together to provide efficient, durable and low maintenance pump operation. A specially designed impeller and pump housing provide the mechanism for transport and delivery of fluid through the pump to a pump output port with reduced fluid turbulence.

Abstract: A rotating machine having a rotor comprising a flexible shaft with a plurality of masses distributed along the shaft. Included within these masses are magnetic disks. Magnetic bearings are attached to the housing and coact to support the rotor in only a radial direction or in both radial and axial directions. Bearing sensors are used to measure the shaft position local to each bearing relative to a face of each bearing. Variable magnetic bearing parameters are controlled so as to change values of stiffness and damping of the magnetic bearings in response to the measurements from the bearing sensors. These controls can be direct analog circuitry, or digital components, or a combination of digital and analog components.

Abstract: A magnetic bearing system includes a rotor with a plurality of masses distributed along the shaft including a portion having a circular peripheral surface suspended radially from pole pieces of permanent and electromagnets. A fault tolerant adaptive system responds to detected parameters of the rotor for varying the stiffness and damping the rotor. Position and speed of rotor are sampled at a rapid rate for each of a plurality of control axes and are processed independently during each sampling period. Malfunction of any of the processors causes supervisory controller to reconfigure the processing of the samples.