Sensorless flow estimation for implanted ventricle assist device

1. A method of monitoring a heart ventricle assist device which is connected to a patient, said assist device comprising an implantable blood pump having a rapidly rotating, electrically powered impeller, said method comprising:

briefly interrupting power to said impeller to cause its rotation to slow; and

estimating the blood viscosity of the patient from the rate at which the rotation slows without applied power.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of estimating a steady state blood flow rate from (1) the estimated blood viscosity; (2) the present magnitude of said power applied to the impeller, and (3) the present rotational speed of the impeller.

3. The method of claim 2 in which, over time periods of no more than about 0.1 second each, transient changes in impeller rotational speed are measured, and an estimated blood flow rate deviation from said estimated, steady state blood flow rate is calculated, to provide an estimated, transient flow rate for each time period.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the power applied to said blood pump is varied in a manner that is a function of the estimated, transient blood flow rate for each time period.

5. The method of claim 3 in which said transient changes are expressed as an impeller inertia correction term relating (1) the rate of change of rotational speed to (2) the difference between said transient flow rate and the steady state flow rate.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the steps of:

estimating a steady state blood pump head from (1) the estimated blood viscosity, (2) the present magnitude of said power applied, and (3) the present rotational speed of the impeller.

7. The method of claim 2 in which the power applied to said blood pump is varied in a manner that is a function of the estimated, steady state blood flow rate.

8. The method of claim 7 in which said power is interrupted for no more than 100 milliseconds to measure estimated blood viscosity.

9. The method of claim 7 in which, over time periods of no more than about 0.1 second each, transient changes in impeller rotational speed are measured, and an estimated blood flow rate deviation from said estimated, steady state blood flow rate is calculated, to provide an estimated, transient flow rate for each time period.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the power applied to said blood pump is varied in a manner that is a function of the estimated, transient blood flow rate for each time period.

11. The method of claim 10 in which said transient changes are expressed as an impeller inertia correction term relating (1) the rate of change of rotational speed to (2) the difference between said transient flow rate and the steady state flow rate.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

estimating a steady state blood pump head from (1) the estimated blood viscosity, (2) the present magnitude of said power applied, and (3) the present rotational speed of the impeller.

13. The method of claim 7 in which the action of the patient's heart is monitored by monitoring said impeller rotational speed.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

estimating a steady state blood pump head from (1) the estimated blood viscosity, (2) the present magnitude of said power applied, and (3) the present rotational speed of the impeller.

15. The method of claim 1 in which said power is interrupted for no more than 100 milliseconds.

16. The method of claim 1 in which the power applied to said blood pump is varied in a manner that is a function of the estimated blood viscosity.

17. The method of claim 1 in which the action of the patient's heart is monitored by monitoring said impeller rotational speed.

18. The method of claim 1 in which the impeller of said blood pump carries a pump impeller suspension system that uses hydrodynamic thrust bearings.