Inductively powering a minimally invasive heart pump

Heart failure affects over million people in the US alone Every year new cases are diagnosed with a cost approaching $ billion For million of these patients US drugs can no longer control the problem and mechanical support for blood flow is the most accessible treatment However heart pumps need power and percutaneous leads used today remain a significant cause of adverse events We propose eliminating the percutanous lead by using wireless power transfer Millar Houston TX has develped the technology US to receive electrical power from a coil inside the body from a magnetic field generated from a coil located outside the body Our research aim is to show how the merging of the wireless power technology with the Procyrion Houston TX Aortix heart pump can eliminate the risk of percutaneous driveline infections We will measure the heat generated by the wireless power system when delivering W of power over a variable distance of up to mm separation between external and implanted coils This power level is adequate for full pump operation and recharging an internal short term battery Our long term goal is make the Aortix the preferred treatment option for stage III HF patientsHeart failure HF leads to poor renal perfusion resulting in fluid overload edema and difficulty breathing cardio renal syndrome Millar and Procyrion are developing a fully implantable long term mechanical circulatory support device with the pump located in the descending aorta to treat a large population of HF patients