Redundant Pneumatic Driver for Implantable Artificial Heart
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current artificial heart drivers lack redundancy and fail to maintain efficient operation in case of compressor faults, leading to potential disruptions in blood pumping, especially when compressors operate out of phase or experience motion cessation.
Innovation Solution
A pulsatile pneumatic driver with redundant systems, including dual compressors and a valve system that switches between normal and backup modes upon fault detection, along with a controller monitoring compressor operation and pressure/flow rates to ensure continuous operation, and incorporates redundant power sources and control systems for reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single compressor is used in the pneumatic driver, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates because there is no redundancy to handle compressor faults or out-of-phase operation
Solution Approach 1:
The pneumatic driver is segmented into multiple independent compressor units (first compressor and second compressor), each capable of independently providing pneumatic power to the artificial heart. This segmentation allows the system to maintain reliability through redundancy while managing complexity by modularizing the compressor functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates backup compressors and valve switching mechanisms beforehand to cushion against potential failures. When a fault is detected in one compressor, the valve system automatically switches to use the other compressor, preventing system failure and maintaining continuous pneumatic power delivery.
2Reliability
If dual compressors with backup systems are implemented, then the reliability is improved through redundancy, but the device complexity increases due to additional valves and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The valve system is designed with multi-functionality, serving both normal operation (switching between left and right ventricle compression chambers) and fault protection (switching between first and second compressors). This universal design consolidates control functions and reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The control functions for normal operation and fault protection are merged into a unified valve system and controller architecture. The same valve mechanism that switches compression chambers during normal operation also switches between compressors during fault conditions, reducing overall system complexity despite the dual-compressor configuration.
3Reliability
If continuous monitoring and automatic switching systems are added, then the reliability is improved through fault detection and backup activation, but the device complexity and control system requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors the operation of both compressors and receives feedback on their operational status. When a fault condition is detected (such as out-of-phase operation or cessation of motion), the feedback triggers automatic switching of the valve system to activate the backup compressor, maintaining reliable operation without requiring complex manual intervention systems.
4Productivity
If large swept volume compression chambers are used, then the productivity of blood pumping is improved, but the volume of the driver increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compression function is segmented across multiple compression chambers within the dual compressor system. Each compressor has compression chambers with swept volumes greater than 160 cubic centimeters, allowing large total pumping capacity to be distributed across multiple smaller chambers rather than requiring a single large chamber, thereby managing driver volume while maintaining productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The driver ensures uninterrupted pneumatic power to the artificial heart by automatically switching to backup modes upon fault detection, maintaining efficient blood pumping across varying conditions and altitudes, with extended maintenance intervals and adaptable pressure/flow settings.
Implementation Method 1
a first compressor that includes a first pair of compression chambers and at least one of the first pair of compression chambers has a swept volume that is greater than about 160 cubic centimeters
Implementation Method 2
A first air outlet and a second air outlet are in selective communication with two or more compression chambers of the first and second pair of compression chambers
Data Source
AI summary
A driver is disclosed for powering a pneumatically operated implantable device, such as an artificial heart with a left and a right ventricle. The driver includes a pair of compressors that each has a first and a second compression chamber. In a first mode of operation, both the first and the second compressor power the left and right ventricle of the artificial heart. In the event of a malfunction in the second compressor, the left and right ventricles of the artificial heart may be powered by the first compressor. Similarly, if a malfunction occurs in the first compressor, the artificial heart may be fully powered by the second compressor.