Magnetically-levitated blood pump with optimization method enabling miniaturization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10835652-B2
Application number	US-201615064960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2008
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A magnetically-levitated blood pump with an optimization method that enables miniaturization and supercritical operation. The blood pump includes an optimized annular blood gap that increases blood flow and also provides a reduction in bearing stiffness among the permanent magnet bearings. Sensors are configured and placed optimally to provide space savings for the motor and magnet sections of the blood pump. Rotor mass is increased by providing permanent magnet placement deep within the rotor enabled by a draw rod configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blood pump, comprising:
an annular flow path defined between an inner surface of a housing and an outer surface of a rotor;
an inflow end of the flow path providing for entry of blood through an inflow conduit;
an outflow end of the flow path providing for exit of said blood through an outflow conduit;
the rotor including an inflow element having at least one blade, the inflow element forming a flow path divergence, an outflow element on the outflow end forming a flow path convergence, and a body extending between the inflow element and the outflow element, the inflow element, outflow element, and body each being connected to one another by a shaft;
at least one sensor coil at the flow path divergence, the at least one sensor coil being wound within a groove around at least partially around the inflow element; and
an exterior housing, the exterior housing having a dome and a cable assembly for storing the electrical interconnections within the blood pump, the cable assembly including a feed-through body, the cable assembly being parallel to and laterally offset from a central axis of the outflow conduit.

2. The pump of claim 1 , wherein the inflow element is positioned at least partially in the inflow conduit.

3. The pump of claim 2 , wherein the at least one blade of the inflow element is at least partially positioned in the inflow conduit.

4. The pump of claim 1 , wherein the outflow element is positioned at least partially in the outflow conduit.

5. The pump of claim 1 , wherein the flow path divergence directs blood flow from the inlet conduit to the annular flow path, and the flow path convergence directs the blood flow from the annular flow path to the outflow conduit.

6. The pump of claim 1 , wherein the annular flow path over the inflow element, body and outflow element allows for minimal blood damage or thrombus formation.

7. The pump of claim 1 , wherein a width of the annular flow path is approximately equivalent to a width of the inflow and outflow conduits.

8. The pump of claim 1 , wherein the cable assembly is protected by an elastic strain relief boot.

9. The pump of claim 8 , wherein the elastic strain relief boot is clamped to an underlying connector structure with retention rings.

Assignees

• Worldheart Corp
• Univ Carnegie Mellon

Inventors

• Ricci Michael R
• Antaki James F
• Verkaik Josiah E
• Paden David B
• Snyder Shaun T
• Paden Bradley E
• Wu Jingchun

Classifications

• A61M60/82 Primary

  Magnetic bearings · CPC title

• A61M60/422 Primary

  the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps · CPC title

• A61M60/508

  Electronic control means, e.g. for feedback regulation · CPC title

• A61M60/237

  the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps · CPC title

• A61M60/178

  drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices · CPC title