Crimp tool for compressible catheter pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12558529-B2
Application number	US-202117563373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2021
Priority date	Dec 31, 2020
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A crimp tool facilitates crimping a resiliently radially compressible human-implantable catheter pump, and transferring the crimped pump into a tubular transfer sheath, by pulling the heart pump through an elongated tube that defines a tapered longitudinal bore. The bore has an inside dimension that tapers gradually along the length of the bore. A large end of the bore is sufficient to accept an uncrimped heart pump. A small end of the bore has a dimension similar to an inside dimension of the transfer sheath. A proximal end of the tube has a hub. A proximal end of a bore through the hub is configured to receive a distal end portion of the transfer sheath coaxially with the tube bore. Optionally, a latch is configured to releasably restrain the distal end portion of the transfer sheath within the hub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A crimp tool for crimping a blood pump for transfer into a tubular sheath, the crimp tool comprising:
an elongated tube that defines a tapered longitudinal bore, the bore being at least about 30 mm long and having an inside dimension that tapers along a length of the bore from (a) at least about a maximum outside dimension of the pump at a distal end of the bore to (b) about an inside dimension of the tubular sheath at a proximal end of the bore; and a hub attached to the proximal end of the tube, the hub defining a bore therethrough that is coaxial with the tube bore, wherein a distal end of the hub bore is coupled to the proximal end of the tube bore, and a proximal end of the hub bore is configured to receive a distal end portion of the tubular sheath substantially coaxially with the tube bore, wherein the hub bore comprises a shoulder configured to abut against a portion of the tubular sheath to prevent the distal end portion of the tubular sheath from advancing in a distal direction beyond a predetermined position within the hub bore.

2 . A crimp tool according to claim 1 , wherein the inside dimension of the distal end of the tube bore is at least about 7 mm.

3 . A crimp tool according to claim 1 , wherein the inside dimension of the proximal end of the tube bore is at most about 4 mm.

4 . A crimp tool according to claim 1 , wherein the tube bore is at least about 50 mm long.

5 . A crimp tool according to claim 1 , wherein an inside wall of the tube that defines the tapered tube bore extends at an angle, relative to a longitudinal axis of the tube, of less than about 2°.

6 . A crimp tool according to claim 1 , wherein a taper ratio of the tapered tube bore, calculated as a ratio of (a) a change in inside diameter of the tube bore to (b) length of the taper along a longitudinal axis of the tube is no greater than about 1:14.

7 . A crimp tool according to claim 1 , further comprising a latch configured to releasably restrain the distal end portion of the tubular sheath within the proximal end of the hub bore.

8 . A crimp tool according to claim 7 , wherein the latch is disposed within the hub, the latch comprising:
a first pillar, a second pillar and an actuator, the actuator being configured for activation by a human, the actuator having an inactivated mode and an activated mode; wherein: the first pillar has an inactivated mode and an activated mode; the first pillar is mechanically coupled to the actuator and configured to resiliently transition from the inactivated mode to the activated mode in response to activation of the actuator; the first and second pillars collectively define an opening therebetween, the hub bore extending through the opening substantially coaxially with the tube bore; in the inactivated mode of the first pillar, a smallest dimension of the opening, as viewed along a longitudinal axis of the tube, is smaller than in the activated mode of the first pillar; and the first pillar is configured to resiliently displace away from the second pillar, independently of activation of the actuator.

9 . A crimp tool according to claim 8 , wherein in the inactivated mode of the first pillar, the smallest dimension of the opening, as viewed along a longitudinal axis of the tube, is smaller than an outside dimension of a feature of the distal end portion of the tubular sheath, and in the activated mode of the first pillar, the smallest dimension of the opening is at least as large as the outside dimension of the feature.

10 . A crimp tool according to claim 8 , wherein:
the second pillar has an inactivated mode and an activated mode; the second pillar is mechanically coupled to the actuator and configured to resiliently transition from the inactivated mode to the activated mode in response to activation of the actuator; the first and second pillars are symmetric; each of the first and second pillars has a first arcuate shape; respective concave sides of the first arcuate shapes counterface each other; and each of the first and second pillars is configured to resiliently transition from its first arcuate shape to a second arcuate shape having a smaller radius in response to activation of the actuator, such that in the inactivated mode of the first and second pillars, the opening is more eccentric, as viewed along a longitudinal axis of the tube, than in the activated mode of the first and second pillar.

11 . A crimp tool according to claim 10 , wherein:
each of the first and second pillars has a front surface and a back surface; the opening extends from the front surfaces to the back surfaces to define a passage; and the passage is tapered to be narrower at the back surfaces than at the front surfaces.

12 . A crimp tool according to claim 7 , wherein the latch is disposed within the hub, the latch comprising:
an actuator configured for activation by a human, the actuator having an inactivated mode and an activated mode; and a radial spring mechanically coupled to the actuator and configured to resiliently increase an inside dimension in response to activation of the actuator.

13 . A crimp tool according to claim 7 , wherein the latch is disposed within the hub, the latch comprising a threaded compression fitting.

14 . A crimp tool for crimping a blood pump for transfer into a tubular sheath, the crimp tool comprising:
an elongated tube that defines a tapered longitudinal bore, the bore being at least about 30 mm long and having an inside dimension that tapers along a length of the bore from (a) at least about a maximum outside dimension of the pump at a distal end of the bore to (b) about an inside dimension of the tubular sheath at a proximal end of the bore; a hub attached to the proximal end of the tube, the hub defining a bore therethrough that is coaxial with the tube bore, wherein a distal end of the hub bore is coupled to the proximal end of the tube bore, and a proximal end of the hub bore is configured to receive a distal end portion of the tubular sheath substantially coaxially with the tube bore; and a latch configured to releasably restrain the distal end portion of the tubular sheath within the proximal end of the hub bore.

Assignees

• Abiomed Inc

Inventors

• Zarins Christopher
• Schumacher Joerg
• D'Ambrosio Ralph
• Siess Thorsten
• Daschewski Maxim
• Birkhof Markus
• Roehn Daniel

Classifications

• A61M60/414

  transmitted by a rotating cable, e.g. for blood pumps mounted on a catheter · 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

• A61M60/148

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

• A61M2209/04

  Tools for specific apparatus · CPC title

• A61M60/216

  including a rotating member acting on the blood, e.g. impeller · CPC title