Research Project
9201810
Heart failure affects over 6 million people in the US alone. Every year, 660,000 new cases are diagnosed with a cost approaching $35 billion. For 2 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 (US14/432,120) 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 5W of power over a variable distance of up to 20mm 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 patients
