Fail-safe TET system for implanted life support devices

描述(由申请人提供)： 心脏辅助设备越来越多地被用于长期支持。随着患者生存时间的大幅增加，对患者的长期管理将在这些设备作为目的疗法的适用性方面发挥越来越大的作用。感染，主要是由于电缆进入部位(S)，仍然是这些患者的主要并发症。到目前为止，完全消除与电缆进入部位感染相关的长期问题的唯一实用方法是使用TET(经皮能量转移)系统。TET系统是一种电磁能量传输系统，可以通过患者完整的皮肤传递大量电能，从而消除电缆进入部位的感染。 这项研究的最终目标是开发一种故障安全的TET系统，大大降低对患者移动的能量传输敏感度。Abied已经开发出第一代TET系统，目前正用于ABioCor全人工心脏的临床试验。该系统虽然在临床环境中非常有效，但已证明需要故障安全操作以及降低对患者移动的敏感度。以目前的ABIOMED TET为基础，第一阶段的详细研究将开发一种新颖的、故障安全的TET系统，并充分表征其性能。 对无故障、用户友好的TET系统的需求已经非常明显，随着越来越多的患者带着目的心脏支持假体出院回家，这一需求将变得越来越重要。对于这些患者来说，一个坚固、轻便、无并发症的电源将在实现接近正常的生活质量方面发挥关键作用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cardiac assist devices are increasingly being used for long term support. As patient survival times increase substantially, long-term management of the patients will increasingly play a role in suitability of these devices as destination therapies. Infection, primarily due to cable entry site(s), remains a primary complication for these patients. To-date, the only practical approach to completely eliminate long-term issues associated with cable entry site infections is to use a TET (Transcutaneous Energy Transfer) system. A TET system, is an electro-magnetic power transfer system, which can send substantial electrical power across a patient's intact skin, thereby eliminating cable entry site infections. The ultimate objective of the research proposed here is to develop a fail-safe TET system with substantial reduction in power transfer sensitivity to patient movement. ABIOMED has already developed a first-generation TET system currently in use in the clinical trial of the AbioCor total artificial heart. This system, although highly effective in a clinical setting, has demonstrated the need for a fail-safe operation as well as for reduced sensitivity to patient movement. Starting with the current ABIOMED TET as a base, detailed studies in phase I will develop a novel, fail-safe TET system and fully characterize its performance. The need for a trouble free, user friendly TET system is already very visible, and will become increasingly important as more patients are discharged home with destination cardiac support prostheses. For these patients a robust, lightweight, complication-free power source will play a critical role in achieving a near-normal quality of life.