System and method for providing improved cardiac pump function through synchronization with the natural mechanical contractions of the heart
A control system for a cardiac support device and the method of supporting the functionality and synchronized contraction of a heart. An optimal strain profile is calculated for a healthy heart. The cardiac support device is attached to the heart and a true ventricular strain profile is measured. The cardiac support device applies external forces to the heart, therein altering said ventricular strain profile of said heart to be closer to the optimal strain profile. The cardiac support device is dynamically controlled to synchronize with the beating rhythm of the heart. The external forces have an applied strain profile. The applied strain profile has a peak strain, a time to peak strain, and a cycle time. These variables can be adjusted either individually or in combinations to fine tune the cardiac support device and cause the altered strain profile of the heart to be closer to the optimal strain profile.
1 . A method of supporting functionality of a patient's heart with a cardiac support device, wherein said patient's heart has a beating rhythm, an inherent pumping functionality, and a physiological strain profile, said method comprising the steps of:
determining an optimal strain profile for the patient's heart;
providing a cardiac support device that contains compartments that expand and contract with changes in pressure;
providing a valve manifold that is connected to an external pressure source, wherein the changes in pressure within said compartments of said cardiac support device are selectively controlled by operation of said valve manifold;
placing said cardiac support device in position to affect said patient's heart, wherein said cardiac support device selectively applies mechanical forces externally to said patient's heart that act to compress said ventricles;
monitoring said patient's heart to determine said beating rhythm and said physiological strain profile;
operating said valve manifold to create a pressure profile in said compartments of said cardiac support device, wherein said cardiac support device applies said mechanical forces to the patient's heart that are a result of said drive pressure profile-received;
controlling said valve manifold so that said cardiac support device applies said mechanical forces externally to said patient's heart in synchronization with said beating rhythm so that said mechanical forces applied by said cardiac support device combine with said inherent pumping functionality of the patient's heart to produce a modified strain profile that is closer to said optimal strain profile than said physiological strain profile.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein monitoring said patient's heart includes monitoring a biometric variable of said patient's heart, wherein said biometric variable is selected from a group consisting of flow rate, arterial pressure, electrocardiogram, and ventricular strain.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining said optimal strain profile for the patient's heart includes calculating said optimal strain profile for a healthy heart of similar physiological characteristics to said patient's heart.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said modified strain profile contains a peak strain, a time to peak strain, and a cycle time.
5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein said modified strain profile is compared to said optimal strain profile and said mechanical forces externally applied by said cardiac support device are modified to cause said modified strain profile to be closer to said optimal strain profile.
6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein said mechanical forces externally applied by said cardiac support device are selectively changed to alter an element of said modified strain profile, wherein said element is selected from a group consisting of said peak strain, said time to peak strain, and said a cycle time.
7 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein said modified strain profile is further modified by altering said peak strain.
8 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein said modified strain profile is further modified by altering said time to peak strain.
9 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein said modified strain profile is further modified by altering said cycle time.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein placing said cardiac support device in position produces an area of contact between said cardiac support device and said patient's heart, wherein said mechanical forces produced by said cardiac support device act upon said patient's heart, therein altering said beating rhythm.
11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein placing said cardiac support device in position produces an area of contact between said cardiac support device and said patient's heart, wherein mechanical forces produced by said cardiac support device act upon said patient's heart, therein producing an altered area of contact, and therein producing an altered heart size.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein said altered heart size is used in determining an updated size for said patient's heart and updating said optimal strain profile for a healthy heart of said updated size.
13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein said altered area of contact is used in determining said mechanical forces externally applied to said patient's heart by said cardiac support device.
14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein placing said cardiac support device in position creates an area of contact between said cardiac support device and said patient's heart, wherein said cardiac support device produces an altered area of contact when activated, and thereby produces an altered heart size and an altered beating rhythm, and wherein said altered heart size is used in determining said optimal strain profile.
15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said altered area of contact and said altered beating rhythm are used in determining said physiological strain pattern to be applied to said patient's heart by said cardiac support device.