Mechanical circulatory supports configured to operate in series with the native heart are disclosed. In an embodiment, an intravascular propeller is installed into the descending aorta and anchored within via an expandable anchoring mechanism. The propeller and anchoring mechanism may be foldable so as to be percutaneously deliverable to the aorta. The propeller may have foldable blades. The blades may be magnetic and may be driven by a concentric electromagnetic stator circumferentially outside the magnetic blades. The stator may be intravascular or may be configured to be installed around the outer circumference of the blood vessel. The support may create a pressure rise between about 20-50 mmHg, and maintain a flow rate of about 5 L/min. The support may have one or more pairs of contra-rotating propellers to modulate the tangential velocity of the blood flow. The support may have static pre-swirlers and or de-swirlers. The support may be optimized to replicate naturally occurring vortex formation within the descending aorta.

A non-occluding intravascular pump comprises a shroud providing an inlet for incoming blood flow and an outlet for outgoing blood flow, wherein the shroud is a cylindrical housing; an impeller positioned within shroud, wherein a central axis of the shroud and impeller are shared; a motor coupled to the impeller, wherein the motor rotates the impeller to causes blood to be drawn through the inlet and output to the outlet, and the motor is centrally disposed and shares the central axis with the shroud and the impeller; and a plurality of pillars coupling the motor to the shroud, wherein the pillars secure the shroud in close proximity to the impeller. Various design features of the pump may be optimized to reduce hemolysis, such as, but not limited to, inlet length, impeller design, pillar angle, and outlet design.

A system includes a drive shaft and a diffuser positioned around the drive shaft to transmit a flow of fluid. The system also includes an impeller that is rotatable with the drive shaft to induce the flow of fluid through the diffuser. Additionally, the system includes a tapered thrust bearing positionable to receive a downhole force from a pumping stage. The tapered thrust bearing includes a flange sleeve positioned around the drive shaft. The flange sleeve includes a tapered mating surface. The tapered thrust bearing also includes a stationary bushing positioned around the flange sleeve. The stationary bushing includes a tapered receiving surface to receive the tapered mating surface of the flange sleeve.

A system includes a drive shaft and a diffuser positioned around the drive shaft to transmit a flow of fluid. The system also includes an impeller that is rotatable with the drive shaft to induce the flow of fluid through the diffuser. Additionally, the system includes a tapered thrust bearing positionable to receive a downhole force from a pumping stage. The tapered thrust bearing includes a flange sleeve positioned around the drive shaft. The flange sleeve includes a tapered mating surface. The tapered thrust bearing also includes a stationary bushing positioned around the flange sleeve. The stationary bushing includes a tapered receiving surface to receive the tapered mating surface of the flange sleeve.

An apparatus for cleaning nets underwater formed from a propeller housing with a centrally disposed axis with a plurality of blades extending therefrom. An outer perimeter ring secured to an outer tip of each blade with a plurality of knuckles secured to the outer perimeter ring. Each knuckle including a curved surface constructed and arranged to be forcefully presented to the aquaculture net upon rotation of said blades for removal of growth by impact and shaking of the aquaculture net. An elastomeric hub prevents spike loads.

Rotary in-line pumps as disclosed herein overcome drawbacks associated with known adverse flow conditions that arise from flow of certain types of materials through a material flow conduit. Such rotary in-line pumps provide for flow of flowable material within a flow passage of a material flow conduit (e.g., a portion of a pipeline, tubing or the like) to have a cyclonic flow (i.e., vortex or swirling) profile. Advantageously, the cyclonic flow profile centralizes flow toward the central portion of the flow passage, thereby reducing magnitude of laminar flow. Such cyclonic flow profile provides a variety of other advantages as compared to a parabolic flow profile such as, for example, increased flow rate, reduce inner pipeline wear, more uniform inner pipe wear, reduction in energy consumption, reduced or eliminated slugging and the like.

A pump assembly includes a vertical pump arranged in a canister. The vertical pump includes a pump column disposed between a pump head and a pump bowl in an axial direction. The pump is arranged in the pump column and is configured to pump a fluid a column inlet at the pump bowl to a column outlet at the pump head. The pump column is supported so as to be stabilized by at least two damping arms disposed on an outer surface of the pump column, and each damping arm has an support end to support a respective damping arm on an inner surface of the canister in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction. Each support end is movable independently from each other support end with respect to the axial direction.

A pump assembly includes a vertical pump arranged in a canister. The vertical pump includes a pump column disposed between a pump head and a pump bowl in an axial direction. The pump is arranged in the pump column and is configured to pump a fluid a column inlet at the pump bowl to a column outlet at the pump head. The pump column is supported so as to be stabilized by at least two damping arms disposed on an outer surface of the pump column, and each damping arm has an support end to support a respective damping arm on an inner surface of the canister in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction. Each support end is movable independently from each other support end with respect to the axial direction.

Apparatus that mixes non-homogenous fluid. A threaded shaft within a housing circulates fluid within a container to effect mixing. In one embodiment, when placed in a container of fluid, the housing the fluid is recirculated through opposing ends of the housing. In an embodiment of a related method for mixing, a pump housing containing a screw journaled for rotation receives fluid within a container and conveys the fluid therethrough to circulate a fluid portion in the container along an exterior surface of the housing for mixing with another fluid portion to improve fluid homogeneity. After mixing, the portion of the fluid which first circulates through the housing may recirculate through the housing with said another portion of the fluid. The fluid may be continuously mixed and recirculated through the housing.

Blood pump assemblies and methods of manufacturing and operating blood pump assemblies are provided. The blood pump assembly includes a pump and an impeller blade rotatably coupled to the pump. The blood pump assembly also includes a pump housing component sized for passage through a body lumen and coupled to the pump. The pump housing component includes a peripheral wall extending about a rotation axis of the impeller blade. The peripheral wall includes an inner peripheral wall surface and an outer peripheral wall surface. The peripheral wall also includes one or more blood exhaust apertures. Each blood exhaust aperture in the one or more blood exhaust apertures is defined by an inner aperture edge and an outer aperture edge. Each inner aperture edge is chamfered between the inner peripheral wall surface and the outer peripheral wall surface.