Surface Application for Artificial Heart Pump Controller

About the Client

The client is a leading healthcare device manufacturing company headquartered in Houston.

The organization brings together experienced life science entrepreneurs, engineers, cardiologists, and specialists in heart failure treatment.

Their expertise focuses on developing percutaneous mechanical circulatory support (pMCS) devices that help patients suffering from severe heart failure.

Industry:

Medical Devices / Healthcare Technology

Core Objective:
Develop a secure application that can operate and regulate an Artificial Heart Pump system to support advanced treatment for patients with heart failure.

The Challenge

Heart failure patients sometimes require treatment solutions beyond traditional medication.

The client needed a reliable system that could safely control and monitor an Artificial Heart Pump device.

Key challenges included:

  • Developing a secure tablet-based application to operate the heart pump controller
  • Ensuring stable communication between system components
  • Protecting command transmissions using strong security mechanisms
  • Supporting both wired and wireless device communication
  • Maintaining reliable storage and backup of controller data
  • Providing real-time monitoring of device performance

The client required a secure and intelligent application that could control and monitor a mechanical circulatory support system.

The Solution: UWP-Based Surface Tablet Application

The development team created a tablet-based application built on the Universal Windows Platform.

The system was designed to run primarily on the Microsoft Surface Go 2.

The application acts as an intermediary between the Cradle and Controller, enabling seamless data exchange.

Both components are powered by the BM71 BLE Module.

The system supports both wired connections and Bluetooth BLE communication.

This architecture ensures reliable and secure communication between all hardware components.

Secure Communication Architecture

The platform uses advanced security mechanisms to protect command transmissions and patient data.

Security features include:

  • RSA Signature for command authentication
  • Timestamp validation for command verification
  • Dynamic RSA key exchange for secure device communication

These technologies ensure that every command sent from the Cradle to the Controller is authenticated and protected.

This protects the system from unauthorized access or command manipulation.

Core System Capabilities

The Surface application enables secure communication between the Artificial Heart Pump system components.

The application allows the Cradle to transmit data to the Controller using secure communication protocols.

It also allows users to send operational commands to the pump controller safely.

The application was carefully designed to support complex medical device operations.

Main Features of the Application

Effortless Bluetooth Pairing

  • The application allows Bluetooth pairing without requiring manual user intervention.
  • The system automatically connects to supported devices.

Secure Bluetooth Communication

  • The platform uses secure pairing protocols such as the Passkey Method.
  • This ensures that the connection between devices remains protected.

Data Parsing and Real-Time Display

  • The application receives data packets from the Controller.
  • It parses the incoming data and displays it in real time through the graphical interface.
  • This provides users with clear visibility of the controller’s operational data.

Secure Command Execution

RSA-signed command packets allow secure device operations.

  • Users can perform actions such as:
  • Pump activation
  • Speed adjustments
  • Controlled shutdown operations

These commands are verified before execution to ensure system safety.

Wired Communication Priority

  • The system automatically prioritizes wired communication over wireless connections.
  • This ensures maximum stability and reliability when transferring critical medical device data.

Secure Cloud Data Transmission

  • Patient and controller data are transmitted as JSON data structures.
  • These data packets are securely sent to the InfluxDB through HTTPS.
  • This ensures confidentiality and data integrity.

Local Data Backup

  • Controller data packets are also stored locally as text files on the Cradle.
  • This provides an additional backup mechanism in case of network interruptions.

Local Tablet Storage

  • Important controller data is also stored locally on the Surface tablet.
  • This ensures accessibility even when the system is offline.

Thread-Based Performance Management

  • The application separates different functional operations into independent threads.
  • This ensures that high-priority tasks run without interruption from lower-priority processes.

The result is improved performance and application stability.

Hardware and Device Integration

The system integrates with several specialized hardware components used in the mechanical circulatory support system.

These components include:

  • Artificial Pump
  • Delivery Systems
  • Introducer Set
  • Control System
  • Retrieval System

The application acts as the central interface connecting these systems.

Workflow Transformation

Before Implementation

  • Limited digital control interface for heart pump systems
  • Manual monitoring and device communication
  • Limited real-time device visibility

After Implementation

  • Secure tablet-based control interface
  • Automated device communication through BLE and wired connections
  • Real-time monitoring and command execution
  • Secure cloud and local data storage

The system significantly improves control and monitoring of the heart pump device.

Business Impact

After the deployment of the Surface application, the client achieved several improvements:

🔹 Secure and reliable communication between system components

🔹 Real-time monitoring of device performance

🔹 Safe execution of critical pump control commands

🔹 Improved data protection and backup mechanisms

🔹 Stable communication using wired and Bluetooth BLE connections

🔹 Enhanced usability for medical device operators

The application supports advanced treatment for patients whose heart failure cannot be managed through medication alone.

Designed for Healthcare Device Systems

  • Medical Device Operators: Monitor and control the artificial heart pump system through a secure tablet interface.
  • Healthcare Device Manufacturers: Manage device communication and performance through a reliable software platform.
  • Healthcare Professionals: Gain improved control and monitoring capabilities for advanced heart failure treatment systems.

Conclusion

The Surface Application for Artificial Heart Pump Control successfully transforms a complex medical device system into a secure and user-friendly digital platform.

By combining secure communication protocols, real-time monitoring, and IoT-enabled device integration, the solution enables safe and reliable control of mechanical circulatory support devices.

The platform helps healthcare technology providers:

  • Improve device communication
  • Ensure secure command execution
  • Enhance monitoring of heart pump systems
  • Support advanced treatment for patients with severe heart failure.