Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Corporeal artificial heart – heart assist – control... – Including electrical or magnetic means adjacent to flexible...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-03-06
Snow, Bruce (Department: 3738)
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Corporeal artificial heart, heart assist , control...
Including electrical or magnetic means adjacent to flexible...
C623S003100, C417S472000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06197055
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a total artificial mechanical heart for use in replacement of a human heart. In particular, the invention relates to such a device which has a single pumping chamber.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous efforts have been made to replace a defective human heart with a mechanical device which replicates the pumping action of a normal human heart. Canadian published patent applications 2,105,908 and 2,105,935 to Mussivand et al, filed Sep. 10, 1993 both relate to hydraulically actuated mechanical pumps for duplicating blood pumping action of the human heart. A right ventricular assist device is shown in Canadian patent 1,234,953 which utilizes an elliptical chamber with a flexible diaphragm separating a sac for connection to the patient's blood system and a pressurizing chamber for augmenting the flow of blood from the sac.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,648 relates to a mechanical heart which injects a driving fluid into one side of a diaphragm dividing a chamber to cause the evacuation of blood from the opposite side of the chamber. The system includes a piston pump and an accumulator for the driving fluid. U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,077 of Nov. 26, 1996 teaches the use of a scroll type pump modified for medical applications. U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,667 teaches an external mechanical heart having blood contacting parts made of Zirconium and alloys thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,911 of Oct. 22, 1995 relates to an implantable heart pump which runs at a harmonic multiple of a normal heart beat frequency, thereby reducing the pump chamber volume.
Thus many inventors have attempted to duplicate the pumping action of the human heart in an implantable mechanical heart.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a single chamber mechanical heart which duplicates the function of a human heart with minimum moving mechanical parts, thus providing a simple reliable mechanism suitable for implantation in the chest of a patient in the space formerly occupied by a human heart. In one embodiment, the heart pumping action is powered by an electromagnetically operated diaphragm vane, with electrical connections to an external power source, which controls the pulse rate as well as the volume of blood pumped. In a second embodiment the pump is powered by a mechanical shaft extending through the skin of the patient. This shaft is rotated in an oscillatory fashion causing motion of the diaphragm vane to pump the blood. In this second embodiment, the pulse rate as well as the blood pressure are controlled by external drive mechanisms controlled by sensors connected to the patient.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3734648 (1973-05-01), Nielson
patent: 4058857 (1977-11-01), Runge et al.
patent: 4221548 (1980-09-01), Child
patent: 4547911 (1985-10-01), Strimling
patent: 4650485 (1987-03-01), Della Sala
patent: 4869656 (1989-09-01), Della Sala
patent: 5549667 (1996-08-01), Davidson
patent: 5578077 (1996-11-01), Kassatly
patent: 1234953 (1988-04-01), None
patent: 2105935 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 2105908 (1995-03-01), None
Baker McLachlen
Snow Bruce
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