Abstract: The present invention provides an implantable, artificial ventricular assist device and system employing an undulation pump and methods for the use thereof. The undulation pump has a toroidal-shaped pump chamber with two angled side walls, an arc-shaped outer wall, an inlet port, an outlet port, and an inner circumferential opening and an undulation disk with a diameter that extends to about the arc-shaped outer wall of the pump chamber. The device includes a circumferential, flexible inner wall membrane covering the inner circumferential opening and least one surface of the undulation disk and forming liquid-tight seals to the pump chamber, or alternatively a precession assembly with inner bearings connected in series with an anti-rotation assembly, the anti-rotation assembly disposed within the pump and connected to the undulation disk, and preferably both, and a motor in connected communication with the precession assembly so that the disk undulates when motive force is applied.

Abstract: A medical reporting system includes a medical data transmitter that receives medical data from a medical monitoring system. The medical data is then transmitted to a telephone network and received from the telephone network by a remote receiver. The medical data is displayed by the medical data receiver. Further, the medical data receiver may also emit an audible sound to indicate the presence of important data.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving an intra-aorta balloon pump is comprised of an isolator having a housing in which a first chamber and a second chamber are defined by a membrane, a positive pressure source which is in fluid communication with the first chamber via a first timing valve, a negative pressure source which is in fluid communication with the first chamber via a second timing valve, a space defined between the second chamber and the intra-aorta balloon pump and containing an amount of operating fluid, a tank for storing therein the operating fluid, an inlet valve interposed between the tank and the space, an exhaust valve interposed between the space and the atmospheric pressure, a sensor for measuring the pressure in the space, and a controller to be operated in such a manner that the first timing valve and the second timing valve are opened and closed alternately in order to establish an alternate supply of the positive and negative pressures to the first chamber and each time-duration during which the fi

Abstract: The invention is directed to an artificial heart having a pump, first and second pair of switching valves, and an electronic control unit which is arranged to control the valves to be actuated synchronously. When one of the first pair of valves and one of the second pair of valves are actuated to open, while the rest of them close, a blood from a right atrium is sucked and released by a pump through one of the first pair of valves, and subsequently, supplied into a pulmonary artery through one of the second pair of valves. At this time, a left atrium and an aorta are shut off, since the other ones of the first and second pair of valves are closed. Whereas, when the other ones of the first and second pair of valves are actuated to open while the rest of them close, the blood from the left atrium is sucked and released by the pump through the other of the first pair of valves, and subsequently, supplied into the aorta through the other of the second pair of valves.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a leak detector for an intra-aorta balloon pump which has a pressure source for pressurizing a primary fluid, a balloon filled with a secondary fluid and inflated thereby, and an isolating device which includes a diaphragm for defining a primary chamber and secondary chamber within the device. The primary chamber is communicated with the pressure source and supplied with the primary fluid, and the secondary chamber is communicated with the balloon and filled with the secondary fluid. The leak detector includes a sensor for detecting a relative position of the diaphragm against at least an inner surface of one of the primary chamber and secondary chamber, and determines a leak of the secondary fluid in response to the relative position of the diaphragm detected by the sensor.