The survival rate of LVAD recipients may be improved by eliminating the infection failure mode at the percutaneous lead entry site. Wireless powering through a Transcutaneous Energy Transfer System (TETS) is a promising solution for achieving this. However, automatic controls need to be employed to compensate for the variations in efficiency and power transfer due to changes in load and coil-to-coil gaps. This article discusses the results of invitro and animal models performance evaluation of an automatically controlled TETS for powering a Left Ventricular Assist Device. It was found that power up to 20 W could be transferred at an axial gap of 30 mm. A 5% variation in speed and a 2% change in flow rate are observed with the change in tissue thickness, in porcine carcass model. The LVAD could be operated at the required RPM irrespective of the change in axial positions.
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