Detecting pump suction, pump thrombus, and other adverse VAD motor events

1. A controller for an implantable blood pump, comprising:

a piezoelectric element in communication with the implantable blood pump, wherein the piezoelectric element is configured to sense vibrations from the controller when the implantable blood pump is operating; and

processing circuitry configured to:

correlate the sensed vibrations into a determination of a presence or an absence of thrombus; and

modify a speed of the implantable blood pump from a set speed of the implantable blood pump based on the determination of the presence or the absence of thrombus.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a header block, and wherein the piezoelectric element is included in the header block.

3. The controller of claim 2 , wherein the controller includes a driveline in communication with the implantable blood pump, and wherein the piezoelectric element is configured to sense vibrations from the driveline when the implantable blood pump is operating.

4. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate an alert if the presence of thrombus is determined.

5. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric element is a crystal.

6. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a driveline in communication with the implantable blood pump, and wherein the piezoelectric element is coupled to the driveline.

7. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to be implanted within a body of a patient.

8. The controller of claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to reduce the speed of the implantable blood pump from the set speed of the implantable blood pump based on the determination of the presence of thrombus.

9. A method of detecting thrombus in a patient having an implantable blood pump, comprising:

sensing, by a piezoelectric element, vibrations from an implanted controller configured to operate the implanted blood pump, wherein the piezoelectric element is coupled to the implanted controller;

correlating the sensed vibrations into a determination of a presence or an absence of thrombus; and

modifying a speed of the implantable blood pump from a set speed of the implantable blood pump based on the determination of the presence or the absence of thrombus.

10. The method of claim 9 , further including generating an alert if the presence of thrombus is determined.

11. The method of claim 9 , further including reducing the speed of the implantable blood pump from the set speed of the implantable blood pump if the presence of thrombus is detected.

12. The method of claim 11 , further including increasing the speed of the pump back to the set speed if the absence of thrombus is detected.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the piezoelectric element is a crystal.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the implanted controller includes a header block, and wherein the piezoelectric element is included in the header block.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the implanted controller includes a driveline in communication with the implantable blood pump, and wherein the piezoelectric element is configured to sense vibrations from the driveline when the implantable blood pump is operating.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the controller includes a header block, and wherein the piezoelectric element is included in the header block.

17. The method of claim 9 , further including correlating the sensed vibrations into the determination of the presence or the absence of thrombus in real time.

18. An implantable blood pump system, comprising:

an implantable blood pump configured to be implanted within a portion of a mammalian heart;

a controller coupled to the implantable blood pump by a driveline;

a piezoelectric element coupled to the controller, wherein the piezoelectric element is configured to sense vibrations from the driveline when the implantable blood pump is operating; and

processing circuitry configured to:

correlate the sensed vibrations into a determination of a presence or an absence of thrombus; and

modifying a speed of the implantable blood pump from a set speed of the implantable blood pump based on the determination of the presence or the absence of thrombus.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the controller includes a header block, and wherein the piezoelectric element is coupled to the header block.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to reduce the speed of the implantable blood pump from the set speed of the implantable blood pump based on the determination of the presence of thrombus.