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.

What it 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.

What it doesn't 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.

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.

Why it matters

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.

Real-world examples

• 1.Jarvik-7 artificial heart
• 2.Early implantable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs)