How Jarvik's Artificial Heart Uses Electric Motors to Pump Blood
A 1977 invention by Robert Jarvik that uses a reversible electric motor to power a hydraulic pump, enabling artificial hearts to mimic the natural pumping action of a human heart.
Original patent title: “Total artificial hearts and cardiac assist devices powered and controlled by reversible electrohydraulic energy converters”
A 1977 invention by Robert Jarvik that uses a reversible electric motor to power a hydraulic pump, enabling artificial hearts to mimic the natural pumping action of a human heart. Granted to University of Utah in 1979 with 12 claims and 68 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a system that converts electricity into hydraulic pressure to move blood through an artificial heart or assist device. It uses a reversible brushless DC motor connected to a hydraulic pump impeller. By spinning the motor in one direction, the system pushes hydraulic fluid to cause the heart's blood chamber to contract (systole). By reversing the motor's direction, it draws fluid back to allow the chamber to refill (diastole). This setup allows for a compact, integrated design that can be implanted to support or replace a failing human heart.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover pneumatic (air-driven) artificial hearts that rely on external air compressors.
- Does not cover continuous-flow blood pumps that lack a reversible motor-driven hydraulic cycle.
- Does not cover biological or tissue-engineered heart replacements.
- Does not cover external blood pumps that remain outside the patient's body.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in using a single, reversible motor to handle both the filling and emptying phases of the heart cycle, which significantly reduced the weight and complexity of the device.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Jarvik-7 artificial heart
Early implantable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs)
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology was central to the development of the Jarvik-7, the first artificial heart successfully implanted into a human in 1982. It represented a major shift toward self-contained, electrically powered medical devices that could potentially allow patients to live outside of a hospital setting.
Filed
December 9, 1977
Granted
November 13, 1979
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The technology laid the groundwork for modern companies like Abbott (which acquired Thoratec) and Medtronic, who continue to develop advanced ventricular assist devices. While the specific Jarvik-7 design is historical, the principles of miniaturized, implantable hydraulic and rotary blood pumps remain the standard for cardiac support.
Market impact
This patent helped launch the field of total artificial hearts and long-term mechanical circulatory support. It transitioned the industry from bulky, external air-driven pumps to the possibility of portable, internal devices, triggering decades of research into miniaturized implantable pumps.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a system that converts electricity into hydraulic pressure to move blood through an artificial heart or assist device. It uses a reversible brushless DC motor connected to a hydraulic pump impeller. By spinning the motor in one direction, the system pushes hydraulic fluid to cause the heart's blood chamber to contract (systole). By reversing the motor's direction, it draws fluid back to allow the chamber to refill (diastole). This setup allows for a compact, integrated design that can be implanted to support or replace a failing human heart.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in using a single, reversible motor to handle both the filling and emptying phases of the heart cycle, which significantly reduced the weight and complexity of the device.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover pneumatic (air-driven) artificial hearts that rely on external air compressors.
- Does not cover continuous-flow blood pumps that lack a reversible motor-driven hydraulic cycle.
- Does not cover biological or tissue-engineered heart replacements.
- Does not cover external blood pumps that remain outside the patient's body.
Patent Journey
From filing to expiry
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
37/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
8/20
Moderate scope
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$59K – $190K
Midpoint $119K · expired or expiring · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
12 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Jarvik, R. K. (1979). How Jarvik's Artificial Heart Uses Electric Motors to Pump Blood (U.S. Patent No. 4,173,796). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4173796/jarvik-artificial-heart
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Jarvik's Artificial Heart Uses Electric Motors to Pump Blood cover?
A 1977 invention by Robert Jarvik that uses a reversible electric motor to power a hydraulic pump, enabling artificial hearts to mimic the natural pumping action of a human heart.
Who owns patent US 4173796?
University of Utah owns this patent, granted in 1979.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 4173796 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 68 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology was central to the development of the Jarvik-7, the first artificial heart successfully implanted into a human in 1982. It represented a major shift toward self-contained, electrically powered medical devices that could potentially allow patients to live outside of a hospital setting.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover pneumatic (air-driven) artificial hearts that rely on external air compressors.
Patent monitoring