Heart beat identification and pump speed synchronization

1. A method comprising:

receiving a signal from a motor of a heart assist pump device;

identifying two prior pulses based on the signal;

determining that the two prior pulses are not complete;

identifying an additional two prior pulses based on the signal;

determining that the additional two prior pulses are complete;

determining a pulse period based on the additional two prior pulses;

determining a speed synchronization start point at which time the motor will begin a change in speed of operation based on the pulse period; and

beginning the change in speed of the motor to a target speed at the speed synchronization start point.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal comprises:

a current signal or a power signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

filtering the signal.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

filtering the signal comprises one or more of employing a second order impulse response filter, an infinite impulse response filter, or a finite impulse response filter.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

filtering the signal comprises filtering out a portion of the signal comprising high frequency noise data that is out of a general heart beat range.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the general heart beat range comprises a frequency of less than 5 Hz.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the pulse period comprises a median of T f2f [i], T r2r [i], T min2min [i] and T max2max [i].

8. A heart assist pump device, comprising:

a motor; and

a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a signal from the motor;

identify two prior pulses based on the signal;

determine that the two prior pulses are not complete;

identify an additional two prior pulses based on the signal;

determine that the additional two prior pulses are complete;

determine a pulse period based on the additional two prior pulses;

determine a speed synchronization start point at which time the motor will begin a change in speed of operation based on the pulse period; and

begin the change in speed of the motor to a target speed at the speed synchronization start point.

9. The heart assist pump device of claim 8 , wherein:

determining the speed synchronization start point comprises one or more of:

using a maximum amplitude time point as a reference when T max2max [i] is most close to T cyc [i] such that the speed synchronization start point is equal to t max [i]+T cyc [i]−T sp , where T sp is a duration of the increase in speed of operation;

using a minimum amplitude time point as the reference when T min2min [i] is most close to T cyc [i] such that the speed synchronization start point is equal to t min [i]+T cyc [i] T k1 , where T k1 =k 1 T min2max , and k 1 ≈0.25 to 0.4, which depends on the T sp ;

using a falling-crossing time point as the reference when T f2f [i] is most close to T cyc [i] such that the speed synchronization start point is equal to t f [i+1]+τ f2min +T k1 , where τ f2min is an average of T f2min , and T k1 =k 1 T min2max ; or

using a rising-crossing time point as the reference when T r2r [i] is most close to T cyc [i] such that the speed synchronization start point is equal to t r [i]+T cyc [i]−T k2 where T k2 =k 2 T min2max , and k 2 ≈0.125 to 0.3, which depends on the T sp .

10. The heart assist pump device of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

increase the speed of operation of the heart assist pump device at additional speed synchronization start points as determined by t sync [j]=t sync [0]−T offset +(j−1)*T cyc [i], where T offset <T min2max and T offset ≈40˜80 ms.

11. The heart assist pump device of claim 8 , wherein:

determining that the additional two prior pulses are complete is based on at least one selection from a group consisting of:

a mean amplitude of three or more previous pulses;

a maximum amplitude of each pulse;

a minimum amplitude of each pulse;

a first falling-crossing time of each pulse;

a first rising-crossing time of each pulse;

a second falling-crossing time of each pulse;

a minimum peak time point for the minimum amplitude value of each pulse; and

a maximum peak time point for the maximum amplitude value of each pulse.

12. The heart assist pump device of claim 8 , wherein:

beginning the change in speed of the motor comprises increasing the speed of the motor corresponding to an increase in a rate of a cardiac cycle of a patient.

13. The heart assist pump device of claim 8 , wherein:

determining that the additional two prior pulses are complete comprises:

determining that Diff max2Mean [i] is (1) greater than a first product of c 1 and Diff max2Min [i], and (2) is lesser than a second product of c 2 and Diff max2Min [i]; and

determining that four pulse periods comprising T f2f [i], T r2r [i], T min2min [i]; and T max2max [i] are each (1) greater than T cyc_min , and (2) less than T cyc_max .

14. The heart assist pump device of claim 8 , wherein:

the motor is configured to operate using one or more of a set current, a set motor speed, or a set flow rate.

15. A non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions are executable by one or more processors to at least:

receive a signal from a motor of a heart assist pump device;

identify two prior pulses based on the signal;

determine that the two prior pulses are not complete;

identify an additional two prior pulses based on the signal;

determine that the additional two prior pulses are complete;

determine a pulse period based on the additional two prior pulses;

determine a speed synchronization start point at which time the motor will begin a change in speed of operation based on the pulse period; and

begin the change in speed of the motor to a target speed at the speed synchronization start point.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:

beginning the change in speed of the motor comprises increasing the speed before a systolic phase.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:

beginning the change in speed of the motor comprises decreasing the speed before an end of systole.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:

determining the speed synchronization start point comprises one or more of:

using a maximum amplitude time point as a reference such that the speed synchronization start point is equal to t max [i]+T cyc [i]−T sp , where T sp is a duration of the increase in speed of operation;

using a minimum amplitude time point as the reference such that the speed synchronization start point is equal to t min [i]+T cyc [i]+T k1 , where T k1 =k 1 T min2max , and k 1 ≈0.25 to 0.4, which depends on the T sp ;

using a falling-crossing time point as the reference such that the speed synchronization start point is equal to t f [i+1]+τ f2min +T k1 , where T f2min is an average of T f2min , and T k1 =k 1 T min2max ; or

using a rising-crossing time point as the reference such that the speed synchronization start point is equal to t r [i]+T cyc [i]−T k2 where T k2 =k 2 T min2max , and k 2 ≈0.125 to 0.3, which depends on the T sp .

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18 , wherein:

the reference comprises:

the maximum amplitude time point when T max2max [i] is most close to T cyc [i];

the minimum amplitude time point when T min2min [i] is most close to T cyc [i];

the falling-crossing time point when T f2f [i] is most close to T cyc [i]; or

the rising-crossing time point when T r2r [i] is most close to T cyc [i].

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

filtering the signal to remove a portion of the signal comprising high frequency noise data that is out of a general heart beat range.