A bearing assembly is configured to retain a distal end of an impeller of a blood pump, where the impeller includes a drive shaft. The bearing assembly includes a pivot member coupled to a distal end of the drive shaft; a distal bearing cup having a proximally-facing surface configured to engage at least a portion of a distal section of the pivot member; and a sleeve bearing disposed around at least a portion of a proximal section of the pivot member.

A blood flow assist system can include an impeller assembly including an impeller shaft and an impeller on the impeller shaft, a primary flow pathway disposed along an exterior surface of the impeller. The system can include a rotor assembly at a proximal portion of the impeller shaft. A secondary flow pathway can be disposed along a lumen of the impeller shaft. During operation of the blood flow assist system, blood can be pumped proximally along the primary flow pathway and the secondary flow pathway. The system can include a sleeve bearing distal the impeller. The system can include a drive unit having a distal end disposed distal a proximal end of the second impeller. The drive unit comprising a drive magnet and a drive bearing between the drive magnet and the impeller assembly.

A pump device (10) includes a housing (30) including a blood inflow port (38) through which blood flows in, and having a fixed-side repulsive magnet (44) disposed in an annular manner; and an impeller (14) that is rotatably housed inside the housing (30), and having a movable-side repulsive magnet (56) disposed in an annular manner. The fixed-side repulsive magnet (44) is disposed in a position offset toward the blood inflow port (38) side relative to the movable-side repulsive magnet (56). In the fixed-side repulsive magnet (44) and the movable-side repulsive magnet (56), a fixed-side repulsive surface (44a) and a movable-side repulsive surface (56a) adjacent to each other have the same polarity.

A blood pump includes a housing having an inlet. A rotor disposed in the housing and configured to rotate substantially about the axis to pump blood from the inlet to the outlet. A stator is disposed within the housing and configured to drive rotation of the rotor about the axis. A bearing mechanism for supporting the rotor inside the housing includes a magnetic bearing configured to magnetically support the rotor inside the housing in a radial direction from the axis. The bearing mechanism includes a sliding bearing configured to physically support the rotor inside the housing in an axial direction along the axis of the housing and allow rotation of the rotor substantially about the axis, the sliding bearing comprising at least one point of contact where the rotor is configured to physically contact a trunnion affixed to the housing.

A device for pumping blood, includes a housing having a distal end adapted to be coupled to a catheter, a proximal end having an outlet, and a tubular body extending between the distal and proximal ends along an axis. A rotor is rotatably disposed within the housing. A first magnetic bearing is operative to levitate the rotor along the axis within the housing. A second magnetic bearing controls a rotational frequency of the rotor. A third magnetic bearing controls a radial position of the rotor.

This invention is directed to a corrosion resistant permanent magnet, to a method for producing a corrosion resistant permanent magnet, and to an intravascular blood pump comprising the magnet. The magnet is corrosion resistant due to a composite coating comprising a metal layer, optionally a metal oxide layer, a layer formed from poly(2-chloro-p-xylylene), and a linker layer between the metal oxide layer and the poly(2-chloro-p-xylylene) layer.

A bearing assembly for use in a blood pump includes a first component that has a convex bearing surface and a first outer surface proximate the convex bearing surface. The bearing assembly includes a second component that a concave bearing surface and a second outer surface proximate the concave bearing surface, the concave bearing surface being configured to receive the convex bearing surface. A plurality of grooves are defined through the convex bearing surface and first outer surface or through the concave bearing surface and the second outer surface.

A blood flow assist system can include an impeller assembly including an impeller shaft and an impeller on the impeller shaft, a primary flow pathway disposed along an exterior surface of the impeller. The system can include a rotor assembly at a proximal portion of the impeller shaft. A secondary flow pathway can be disposed along a lumen of the impeller shaft. During operation of the blood flow assist system, blood can be pumped proximally along the primary flow pathway and the secondary flow pathway. The system can include a sleeve bearing distal the impeller. The system can include a drive unit having a distal end disposed distal a proximal end of the second impeller. The drive unit comprising a drive magnet and a drive bearing between the drive magnet and the impeller assembly.

A bearing assembly may be provided for mounting a rotor which can be rotated about a rotational axis. In particular, for a rotary fluid pump or rotary blood pump comprising: a main body, a bearing element which can be displaced relative to the main body in the direction of the rotational axis for receiving the rotor, and an adjusting device which is connected to the bearing element for displacing the bearing element in the direction of the rotational axis by a predefined distance, wherein the predefined distance is <=500 micrometres.

The invention relates to a rotor bearing system (1). Said system comprises a housing (80) in which a first permanent magnet (30) is mounted such that it can rotate about a first axis (105). A rotor (70) for conveying a liquid comprises a second hollow-cylindrical permanent magnet (40), which is mounted such that it can rotate about a second axis. The first permanent magnet (30) and the second permanent magnet (40) overlap axially at least partially, wherein the first permanent magnet (30) is disposed offset relative to the second permanent magnet (40). In the axial overlap region (160) of the first permanent magnet (30) and the second permanent magnet (40), the housing (80) is positioned between the two permanent magnets (30, 40). A first bearing (20) is configured for the relative axial positioning of the rotor (70) and the housing (80) with respect to one another and for receiving an axial force resulting from the arrangement of the first permanent magnet (30) and the second permanent magnet (40), and a second bearing (10) and a third bearing (90) are configured for receiving radial forces and for positioning the axis of rotation of the second permanent magnet (40).