Download ESS HiPI: Energy Supply System for High Powered

ESS HiPI: Energy Supply System for High Powered Implants (U402 & U496)
Background
There has been a remarkable development of medical
devices over the last 30 years to support, and even
substitute the heart in patients with advanced hear failure.
However a clinically viable heart pump or any other high
powered medical device should integrate a wireless power
source to address the infection issues related to the
drivelines currently in use to connect the implantable device
with the external power source.
The most problematic is the use of a driveline that passes
through the skin to an external power supply. Drivelines
frequently become infected leading to very serious clinical
complications. Additionally, newer prototype systems using
wireless power transfer across the skin have significant
limitations as considerable heat is generated, leading to
skin and tissue damage, not to mention the discomforting
feeling which degrades the quality of life of patients.
The incidence of heart failure increases rapidly with age
and inactive lifestyles. As a consequence heart failure is a
cardiovascular disease with both an increasing incidence
and death rate worldwide. In the United States,
approximately 670,000 new cases are diagnosed annually
and approximately 300,000 patient deaths are attributed to
advanced heart failure.
In response to this important clinical need, scientists at the
University of Ulster have developed a patent pending
innovative technology for the production of a
Transcutaneous
Energy
Transfer
System.
This
collaborative project combines Ulster’s Engineering
Research Institute, the Centre for Advanced Cardiovascular
Research (CACR) and the Nanotechnology and Integrated
BioEngineering Centre (NIBEC).
Technology and Applications
The market for high-powered medical devices in the
cardiology sector is growing, particularly in the left
ventricular assist devices (LVAD) segment. This increase
in demand is driven by several factors, the most pertinent to
this project are the increasing numbers of patients with
heart failure, as a result of the availability of improved
treatment for heart attacks, and the decreasing number of
heart transplants being performed due to a fall in the
number of donors. For patients with advanced heart failure,
current clinical practice involves the use of LVADs that
greatly improve quality and quantity of life. However there
are a number of inherent challenges with the use of these
devices.
The development of this prototype will demonstrate the
capability of the design to deliver sufficient energy using an
innovative wireless power transmission protocol and a
novel methodology for negligible skin heating effects,
coupled with an advanced, implantable, miniaturised and
light-weight technology. Together these solutions will
resolve the challenges encountered with existing and
prototype energy supply systems currently available.
Development
This product delivers an attractive proposition to companies
involved in the manufacture of LVADs, as well as
companies that manufacture power supply systems for
medical devices. Although the primary objective is to
disrupt the LVAD market segment, this technology will
attract interest from manufacturers of other medical devices
who are challenged by the combinational issue of heat
generation and the requirement for medical implants that
demand a high and constantly powered supply.
The University of Ulster is actively seeking to establish
relationships with commercial entities interested in using
this disruptive technology for the manufacture of medical
products or in related applications. Partnerships for the codevelopment of new products will also be considered.
Patent Status
Technology is currently being assessed for patentability.
Lead Inventors
Prof Omar Escalona
Prof James McLaughlin
Fergus Begley
Technology Commercialisation Manager,
Research & Innovation,
Magee Campus,
University of Ulster,
Tel: +44 (0) 28 7167 5636
Derry/Londonderry,
Mob: +44 (0) 7716 610 994
Northern Ireland,
Email: [email protected]
BT48 7JL