Artificial heart

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a fully implantable artificial heart. The use of flat helical springs to align and reciprocate a bellows structure allows the bellows to pump blood, the multiple solenoids with floating magnetized rods and permanent magnet assemblies held by the flat helical springs provide the power. The artificial heart pumps blood with virtually no friction and no parts to wear out. The use of solenoids advantageously move blood in a gentle, controllable manner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An artificial heart, comprising:
 an outer housing defining a first chamber having a fixed volume, wherein the chamber comprises a right ventricle and a left ventricle separated by a single movable plate structure within the fixed volume, the movable plate structure coupled to the center of a magnet and configured to vary a right ventricular volume and a left ventricular volume inversely proportionally to each other upon movement of the movable plate structure;   a first spring assembly and a second spring assembly operably connected to the magnet and the movable plate structure; and   a first drive coil operably connected to a first end of the chamber and a second drive coil operably connected to a second end of the chamber, the first drive coil and the second drive coil configured to attract or repel the magnet, thereby moving the movable plate structure.   
     
     
         2 . The artificial heart of  claim 1 , wherein the first spring assembly and the second spring assembly comprise a bellows spring operably connected to a helical spring. 
     
     
         3 . The artificial heart of  claim 1 , wherein the first spring assembly and the second spring assembly are configured to store energy and actuate the movable plate structure, wherein the relative contribution to movement of the movable plate structure by the first spring assembly and the second spring assembly increases when the relative contribution of the first drive coil and the second drive coil to the movable plate structure decreases. 
     
     
         4 . The artificial heart of  claim 1 , wherein the movable plate structure is configured to have a frictionless, noncontact predetermined first stop location when a magnetic contraction force from the magnet is in equilibrium with the force from the first spring assembly, second spring assembly, the first drive coil and the second drive coil. 
     
     
         5 . The artificial heart of  claim 4 , wherein the movable plate structure is configured to have a frictionless, noncontact predetermined second stop location when a force from the first spring assembly and the second spring assembly is in equilibrium with the force from the magnetic contraction force in the opposite of the first stop position, wherein the first drive coil drives a control. 
     
     
         6 . The artificial heart of  claim 1 , further comprising a second chamber comprising a left atrium and a third chamber comprising a right atrium, the left atrium and the right atrium fluidly connectable to the first chamber, the second chamber and the third chamber configured to receive continuous blood flow and have a preset pressure controlled profile. 
     
     
         7 . The artificial heart of  claim 6 , wherein the left atrium and the right atrium are configured such that blood flow through the left atrium and the right atrium can flow into the left ventricle and right ventricle respectively allowing mechanical actuation of the magnet by the blood flow. 
     
     
         8 . The artificial heart of  claim 1 , wherein there are no wires within the fixed volume, preventing loose connections or cables within the fixed volume. 
     
     
         9 . The artificial heart of  claim 1 , further comprising an aortic valve configured to be connected to a patient's aorta, and a pulmonic valve configured to be connected to a patient's pulmonary artery, wherein the aortic valve cross-sectional area is large and at least about 10% of the cross-sectional area of the first chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The artificial heart of  claim 1 , wherein the magnet is a high coercivity, high flux density magnet. 
     
     
         11 . The artificial heart of  claim 10 , wherein the magnet comprises a neodymium iron boron magnet.