David Skillin

US Patent:

48468312, Jul 11, 1989

Filed:

Apr 27, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/186924

Inventors:

David E. Skillin - San Diego CA

International Classification:

A61B 1900

US Classification:

623 3

Abstract:

A manual back-up emergency drive device for air driven artificial hearts, particularly for the "Jarvik-7" heart, is adapted to be instantly connected to the air drive lines for the heart in the event of power and air pressure failures and manually actuated to sustain the life of the heart recipient during the power failure. The device includes a bellows type manually actuated pump with a pressure stroke and a suction stroke, and an air delivery tube emerging from the pump coupled to a pair of air tubes having quick disconnect coupling units on the ends thereof for mating with coupling units on the ends of the air drive tubes to the heart. The device also includes a metering valve in the tube serving the right ventricle of the heart, an instrument reading the metered and pumped air pressures pulsing through the system and a make-up air intake in the pump.