Impeller and frame for blood pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11844592-B2
Application number	US-202017077769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2020
Priority date	Jan 10, 2018
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described including a ventricular assist device that includes an impeller configured to be placed inside a subject's left ventricle. A frame is disposed around the impeller, the frame defining generally-cylindrical central portion, and a proximal conical portion that widens from a proximal end of the frame to a proximal end of the generally-cylindrical central portion. A motor drives the impeller to pump blood from the left ventricle to the subject's aorta, by rotation of the impeller. The impeller is configured to be disposed at least partially within the proximal conical portion of the frame during at least some of a time during which the impeller rotates. Other applications are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a ventricular assist device comprising:
an impeller configured to be placed inside a left ventricle of a subject, the impeller being shaped such that the impeller widens along an axial portion of the impeller extending from a proximal end of the impeller to a location at which a span of the impeller is at its maximum;
a frame configured to be disposed around the impeller, the frame defining a generally-cylindrical central portion, and a proximal conical portion that widens continuously from a proximal end of the frame to a proximal end of the generally-cylindrical central portion;
a motor configured to drive the impeller to pump blood from the left ventricle to an aorta of the subject, by rotation of the impeller,
the impeller being configured such that:
throughout a time period during which the impeller rotates, the location at which the span of the impeller is at its maximum is disposed within the generally-cylindrical central portion of the frame, and there is a gap of less than 1 mm between an outer edge of the impeller and the generally-cylindrical central portion of the frame, and
the axial portion of the impeller along which the impeller widens is disposed at least partially within the proximal conical portion of the frame during at least some of the time period during which the impeller rotates.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the impeller is configured to undergo axial back-and-forth motion in response to cyclical changes in a pressure difference between the subject's left ventricle and the subject's aorta.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the impeller is configured to be disposed at least partially within the proximal conical portion of the frame during systole of the subject.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the impeller is shaped such that the impeller narrows along the length of the impeller from the location at which the span of the impeller is at its maximum to a distal end of the impeller.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter of the impeller at the location at which the span of the impeller is at its maximum is more than 6 mm.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the impeller is configured such that, at the location it which the span of the impeller is at its maximum, the gap between the outer edge of the impeller and an inner surface of the frame is maintained during the rotation of the impeller.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the impeller is configured such that the gap is less than 0.4 mm.

8. A method comprising:
placing a ventricular assist device into a body of a subject, such that:
an impeller of the ventricular assist device is placed inside a left ventricle of the subject, the impeller being shaped such that the impeller widens along an axial portion of the impeller extending from a proximal end of the impeller to a location at which a span of the impeller is at its maximum;
a frame of the ventricular assist device is disposed around the impeller, the frame defining generally-cylindrical central portion, and a proximal conical portion that widens continuously from a proximal end of the frame to a proximal end of the generally-cylindrical central portion;
driving the impeller to pump blood from the left ventricle to an aorta of the subject, by activating a motor to rotate of the impeller,
the placement of the impeller within the frame being such that:
throughout a time period during which the impeller rotates, the location at which the span of the impeller is at its maximum is disposed within the generally-cylindrical central portion of the frame, and there is a gap of less than 1 mm between an outer edge of the impeller and the generally-cylindrical central portion of the frame, and
the axial portion of the impeller along which the impeller widens is disposed at least partially within the proximal conical portion of the frame during at least some of the time period during which the impeller rotates.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein driving the impeller to pump blood from the subject's left ventricle to the subject's aorta comprises causing the impeller to undergo axial back-and-forth motion in response to cyclical changes in a pressure difference between the subject's left ventricle and the subject's aorta.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein causing the impeller to undergo axial back-and-forth motion in response to cyclical changes in a pressure difference between the subject's left ventricle and the subject's aorta comprises causing the impeller to be disposed at least partially within the proximal conical portion of the frame during systole of the subject.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein placing the ventricular assist device into the subject's body comprises placing into the subject's body a ventricular assist device the impeller of which is shaped such that the impeller narrows along the length of the impeller from the location at which the span of the impeller is at its maximum to a distal end of the impeller.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein placing the ventricular assist device into the subject's body comprises placing into the subject's body a ventricular assist device the impeller of which is shaped such that an outer diameter of the impeller at the location at which the span of the impeller is at its maximum is more than 6 mm.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein driving the impeller to pump blood from the left ventricle to the subject's aorta, comprises maintaining a position of the impeller with respect to the frame such that, at the location in which the span of the impeller is at its maximum, the gap between the outer edge of the impeller and an inner surface of the frame that is maintained.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein maintaining the position of the impeller with respect to the frame such that, at the location in which the span of the impeller is at its maximum, there is a gap between the outer edge of the impeller and the inner surface of the frame comprises maintaining the position of the impeller with respect to the frame such that, at the location in which the span of the impeller is at its maximum, there is a gap that is less than 0.4 mm between the outer edge of the impeller and the inner surface of the frame that is maintained.

Assignees

• Magenta Medical Ltd

Inventors

• Tuval Yosi
• Sohn Zev
• Schwammenthal Ehud
• Lubinsky Gad

Classifications

• A61M60/812

  Vanes or blades, e.g. static flow guides · CPC title

• A61B5/0215 Primary

  by means inserted into the body · CPC title

• A61M60/135

  inside a blood vessel, e.g. using grafting · CPC title

• A61M60/148

  in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices · CPC title

• A61M60/237

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