Uninterruptable Transcutaneous Wireless Power Supply for an LVAD: Experimental Validation and EMF Safety Analysis

An uninterruptable wireless power supply is developed for a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), which is an implanted, electrically driven centrifugal pump used to treat advanced heart failure pathologies. The LVADs are currently powered through a cable driveline (DL) that exits the patient's body through the skin. Here, an innovative uninterruptable power supply is presented, based on a hybrid wireless/wired architecture: the electric power of 10 W is transferred by the near field wireless power transfer technology operating at 300 kHz, from outside the human body to an implanted subcutaneous receiver, and then by an internal cable to the LVAD. A significant improvement of the subcutaneous receiver is here proposed, based on the integration in the receiving coil of a battery pack providing the following benefits: no-break power supply for the LVAD; peak load management; enhanced system reliability; elimination of DL infection; enhancement of patient's quality of life. The proposed system is first designed and optimized, then a demonstrator is made and tested in a laboratory using the latest LVAD generation. The measured coil currents are used as sources for dosimetric analysis to assess the compliance of the system with the electromagnetic field safety and thermal regulations.