Patent ID: 8066628
Filing Date: 2011-11-29
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. A ventricular assist device, comprising: an intra-aortic balloon pump sized and shaped to dangle inside a patient's aorta, the pump having a wall made at least in part from a moisture-resistant material; a skin interface; an external driver comprising a rigid bellows, a prime mover actuating the bellows, and valves arranged to permit multiple pumping modes, the prime mover being operably connected to a power source; an internal drive line connecting the balloon pump to the skin interface; an arterial interface, sized and shaped to pass the internal drive line through an arterial wall; an external drive line connecting the skin interface to the external driver; and a controller configured to receive (a) a blood pressure signal representative of at least a sensed blood pressure, and (b) an electrocardiogram signal; wherein: