IP Library Granted Patent US 7,951,062
Granted Patent B2
US 7,951,062 · App. 12/134,084 · Granted May 31, 2011

Blood pump system and method of operation

Assignee: Micromed Technology, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,951,062
App. No.
12/134,084
Granted
May 31, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A blood pump system includes a blood pump having a motor with a rotor and a stator. The stator has a plurality of stator windings situated therein. A motor controller is coupled to the motor, and a processor has inputs coupled to the motor controller for receiving a time continuous signal from the pump. The processor is programmed to transform the time continuous signal to the frequency domain, and control the pump and detect excess suction in response to the time continuous signal in the frequency domain.

Claims (29)

1. A method of controlling a blood pump, comprising:

sampling a time continuous signal from the blood pump to obtain a first number of data points;

transforming a second number of data points relating to the sampled time continuous signal to the frequency domain, wherein the second number is greater than the first number;

analyzing the sampled time continuous signal in the frequency domain;

controlling the blood pump in response to the analysis of the sampled time continuous signal in the frequency domain; and

detecting excess suction in response to analysis of distortion in the sampled time continuous signal in the frequency domain.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining parametric data in response to the analysis of the sampled time continuous signal in the frequency domain.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the parametric data includes heart rate.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the parametric data includes respiratory rate.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the parametric data includes pump flow rate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein sampling the time continuous signal from the blood pump includes sampling between approximately 100 and 200 data points of the time continuous signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising zero padding the first number of data points to obtain the second number of data points.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising validating the sampled time continuous signal in response to the analysis of the sampled time continuous signal in the frequency domain.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein validating the sampled time continuous signal includes evaluating the signal to noise ratio.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein validating the sampled time continuous signal includes evaluating the signal to noise plus distortion ratio.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time continuous signal is selected from the group consisting of a pump flow rate, a pump speed, and a pump current.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time continuous signal is selected from the group consisting of a pump inlet pressure, a pump outlet pressure, and a differential pressure across the pump.

13. A blood pump system, comprising:

a blood pump comprising a rotor and a stator, the stator including a plurality of stator windings;

a controller operatively coupled to the pump;

a processor operatively coupled to the controller and adapted to receive a first number of data points relating to a time continuous signal from the pump; and

wherein the processor is programmed to transform a second number of data points relating to the time continuous signal to the frequency domain, wherein the second number is greater than the first number, and to detect excess suction in response to distortion in the transformed time continuous signal.

14. The blood pump system of claim 13 , wherein the controller applies current to the stator windings in a sequence to create a rotating field, and wherein the time continuous signal includes one or more stator winding current.

15. The blood pump system of claim 13 , further comprising a flow measurement device coupled to the processor and providing a signal representing the pump flow rate, wherein the time continuous signal includes the pump flow rate.

16. The blood pump system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is programmed to zero pad a digital representation of the received time continuous signal.

17. The blood pump system of claim 16 , wherein the digital representation of the received time continuous signal from the blood pump comprises between approximately 100 and 200 data points of the time continuous signal.

18. The blood pump system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is programmed to zero pad the first number of data points to obtain the second number of data points.

19. The blood pump system of claim 13 , wherein the time continuous signal is selected from the group consisting of a pump flow rate, a pump speed, and a pump current.

20. The blood pump system of claim 13 , wherein the time continuous signal is selected from the group consisting of a pump inlet pressure, a pump outlet pressure, and a differential pressure across the pump.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2016
From: RELIANTHEART INC.; RELIANTHEART B.V.
To: TCJ I, LLC
Reel/Frame 039926/0499 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 033690 FRAME: 0320. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 27, 2016
From: MICROMED TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: RELIANTHEART INC.
Reel/Frame 040165/0721 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2014
From: MICROMED TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: RELIANT HEART, INC.
Reel/Frame 033690/0320 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2010
From: MORELLO, GINO F.
To: MICROMED TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 024732/0398 →
Continuity (10)
Continuation 10675669 · Sep 30, 2003
Continuation In Part PCTUS0320268 · Jun 26, 2003
Continuation In Part PCTUS0318859 · Jun 13, 2003
Continuation In Part PCTUS0300516 · Jan 8, 2003
Continuation In Part PCTUS0300273 · Jan 7, 2003
Provisional Application 60319358 · Jun 26, 2002
Provisional Application 60319318 · Jun 14, 2002
Provisional Application 60346555 · Jan 8, 2002
Provisional Application 60346721 · Jan 7, 2002
Related Publication 20080281146A1 · Nov 13, 2008