Implantable Skin Interface Device for Cardiac Assist Portability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cardiac assist devices require inconvenient external apparatuses, such as compressed gas tanks and controllers, which limit portability and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A skin interface device that uses air as the pumping medium, eliminating the need for helium tanks and compressors, and utilizes air replacement based on humidity sensing, with inflation/deflation cycles triggered by electrocardiogram (EKG) data or pressure data, and includes a wireless power transfer assembly for energy and data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external apparatuses (compressed gas tanks, controllers) are used to operate the cardiac assist device, then the device can function reliably, but the system becomes cumbersome and less portable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gas storage function from external tanks and integrates it into the implantable device itself. The device contains an internal reservoir that stores compressed gas, eliminating the need for external gas cylinders. This allows the device to be self-contained and implantable without external apparatuses, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where the pump is positioned inside the aorta, the reservoir is integrated within the pump assembly, and the entire system is implanted within the patient's body. This nested configuration allows multiple functional components to be compactly arranged, eliminating external apparatuses while maintaining reliable operation.
2Productivity
If a pump with displacement volume of 40-50 cc is implanted in the aorta to augment blood flow, then cardiac assist effectiveness is improved, but the device occupies significant space and may cause mechanical complications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic pump design where the pump volume changes during operation. The pump can be inflated to its full displacement volume of 40-50 cc during diastole when blood flow augmentation is needed, and deflated during systole to reduce its volume and minimize interference with blood flow and surrounding structures. This dynamic volume adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining high productivity and reducing occupied space.
3Productivity
If the pump is inflated during diastole to drive blood into coronary arteries, then oxygen supply to heart muscle is improved, but the timing precision and coordination with cardiac cycle must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a sensor that detects cardiac cycle events and provides feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism allows the pump timing to be automatically synchronized with the patient's native cardiac rhythm, ensuring the pump inflates during diastole and deflates during systole. The feedback system eliminates timing errors and maintains precise coordination without requiring external monitoring, resolving the contradiction between enhancing productivity and minimizing time loss.
4Productivity
If the pump is deflated during systole to decrease afterload, then left ventricle ejection is facilitated, but the deflation timing must be precisely coordinated with ventricular contraction
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback sensor detects the onset of ventricular systole and triggers pump deflation at the appropriate time. This ensures the pump is deflated during systole to decrease afterload and facilitate ventricular ejection, while maintaining precise timing coordination. The feedback mechanism automatically adjusts to variations in cardiac rhythm, resolving the timing coordination challenge.
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 solution results in a more portable cardiac assist system with reduced external components, precise control of air volume and movement, and efficient energy transfer, enhancing the convenience and effectiveness of cardiac assist operations.
Implementation Method 1
a wireless power transfer assembly for energy and data transmission
Implementation Method 2
During diastole, the pump is inflated, thereby driving blood in the ascending aorta and aortic arch into the coronary arteries
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A skin interface device ("SID") for a cardiac assist device, including a SID cap having a first housing, an annular sleeve, and a first annular winding disposed over said annular sleeve. The SID further includes a SID base having a second housing formed to include a tubular portion, a cylindrical member disposed in said tubular portion, and a second annular winding disposed around said cylindrical member. The SID cap is configured to be rotationally attached to said SID base. When the SID cap is attached to the SID base, the second annular winding is disposed within the first annular winding, and the relative positions of the first annular winding and the second annular winding are fixed both laterally and vertically.