tCoil, Wireless Cardiac Charger Holds New Promise for Heart Failure Patients

Heart pump implants are a viable option for heart-failure patients except for one problem area—they require charging, which is done through wires. Aside from the obvious aesthetic issues, these chargers also present a problem for patients in that the portal through the skin, linking the heart and power supply, can become infected.

But that may soon be changing. A team of senior engineering students at Rice University, working in conjunction with Procyrion, a company that develops vascular assistance devices (VADs), have created the tCoil—a system that allows for wireless charging of a heart pump. The device can also communicate vital patient information via radio waves, providing a warning system in emergencies and allowing doctors to better monitor patient progress and to adjust the device accordingly.

The project is still under development and entering the prototype phase but the Rice students and Procyrion are optimistic and hope that, once perfected and FDA approved, the tCoil will allow healthcare practitioners to make ventricular assist available to an ever broader set of patients. The students also received awards for Best Interdisciplinary Design Project at the Design Showcase and for Best Medical and Rehabilitation Technology at the third annual Rice Undergraduate Elevator Pitch Competition last November for their work on the tCoil.

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