Apparatus and methods are described including an axial shaft configured for insertion into, and rotation within, a subject's body. A delivery tube extends to the axial shaft, from outside the subject's body, while the axial shaft is within the subject's body. An impeller is coupled to the axial shaft such that, as the axial shaft rotates, the impeller pumps blood of the subject. Proximal and distal radial bearings surround the axial shaft, proximally and distally to the impeller respectively, the proximal and distal radial bearings being configured to radially stabilize the axial shaft while the axial shaft rotates. A proximal bearing housing houses the proximal radial bearing and is coupled to the delivery tube. A drive cable rotates the axial shaft while extending through the delivery tube, and is coupled to the axial shaft within the proximal bearing housing. Other applications are also described.

A suction pump system for aspirating fluids and other materials from a human body comprises a power source, an aspiration pump, and an electrical motor coupled to the power source and the aspiration pump, wherein the aspiration pump is pulsed at a frequency below 100 Hz.

An aortic occlusion device includes a catheter and a balloon mounted along the catheter, wherein the balloon is a narrow profile balloon. The narrow profile balloon comprises an anchored end fixed to the catheter, a movable end distal to the fixed end, a wall extending between the anchored end and the movable end, an inflatable tube located proximate along the wall and circumscribing the wall, and at least one tension wire attached to the movable end and extending through the catheter such that the at least one tension wire is accessible to move the movable end of the balloon towards the anchored end when the catheter is positioned in the aorta.

A system allows for collection and re-use of a fluid medium derived from diverting at least some of the fluid medium of an injection. The system comprises a sterile container, an injector, a delivery catheter, a flow diverter assembly and a diversion reservoir assembly. The delivery catheter is in communication with a selected site within a patient's body. The flow diverter assembly is disposed in a flow path between the injector and the delivery catheter and is configured to divert at least a portion of a medium of the injection from the flow path. The diversion reservoir assembly has a reservoir chamber fluidly coupled to the flow diverter assembly The reservoir chamber is configured to receive the diverted portion of the fluid medium to allow re-use by the medium injector of the diverted portion.

The systems, devices, and methods presented herein use a blood pump to obtain measurements of cardiac function. The system can quantify the functioning of the native heart by measuring certain parameters/signals such as aortic pressure or motor current, then calculate and display one or more cardiac parameters and heart function parameters, such as left ventricular pressure, left ventricular end diastolic pressure, or cardiac power output. These parameters provide valuable information to a user regarding current cardiac function, as well as positioning and function of the blood pump. In some embodiments, the system can act as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool. Providing cardiac parameters in real-time, along with warnings about adverse effects and recommendations to support cardiac function, such as increasing or decreasing the volumetric flow rate of blood pumped by the device, administering pharmaceutical therapies, and/or repositioning the blood pump allow clinicians to better support and treat cardiovascular disease.

One aspect of an intravascular ventricular assist device is an implantable blood pump where the pump includes a housing defining a bore having an axis, one or more rotors disposed within the bore, each rotor including a plurality of magnetic poles, and one or more stators surrounding the bore for providing a magnetic field within the bore to induce rotation of each of the one or more rotors. Another aspect of the invention includes methods of providing cardiac assistance to a mammalian subject as, for example, a human. Further aspects of the invention include rotor bodies having helical channels formed longitudinally along the length of the body of the rotor where each helical channel is formed between peripheral support surface areas facing radially outwardly and extending generally in circumferential directions around the rotational axis of the rotor.

The invention is a heart assist device which has been developed in order to maintain the blood circulation in end-stage heart patients who do not respond to medical treatment, and it has been designed in size and shape so that it can be installed into the anatomically spacious root sections of the aorta and main pulmonary artery. With its small volume, and exceptional motor design without a shaft, the device, which contains a brushless, asynchronous and three-phase electric motor, will consume much less energy. The three-phase current required for the motor is provided from the power supply outside the body through the synchronous and wireless transmission of three phases. The invention is about a permanent endovascular cardiac support device which contains a three-phase, brushless, asynchronous electric motor, and the required energy is provided through the three-phase wireless power transmission from outside the body.

The present disclosure teaches a novel medical device and method of use, employing a unique shape that allows the device to use the lesser (inferior) curve of aortic Arch as a fulcrum of support for a guide catheter, for subsequent prevention of recoil and displacement thereof, while delivering additional catheters or devices into the distal branches of the great vessels. A method for using same.

Provided herein is an intra-aortic balloon catheter including a tube; and a sheath seal including an elastomeric housing having a proximal end, a distal end, a lumen arranged between the proximal end of the housing and the distal end of the housing, wherein the housing includes an impingement device, wherein the lumen is configured to slidably receive the tube therein and the impingement device is configured to engage the outer surface of the tube and apply a force thereto in order to prevent the tube from sliding relative to the sheath seal when the impingement device is in a first state.

Apparatus and methods are described including an axial shaft and an impeller configured for rotation within a subject's body. A coupling element includes a first portion, which is disposed around the axial shaft, is shaped to define one or more slits that facilitate a radial expansion of the first portion such that the first portion is placeable around the axial shaft, and is shape-set to have an inner diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the axial shaft such that, following placement of the first portion around the axial shaft, the first portion becomes radially contracted around, and thus locked in place with respect to, the axial shaft. A second portion of the coupling element is coupled to a bushing of the impeller. Other applications are also described.