A system for facilitating fluid connection between cannulae and a blood pump. The system includes a cannula having proximal and distal ends. The distal end of the cannula adapted to be in fluid communication with the circulatory system. The proximal end of the cannula configured to couple to an inlet of the blood pump. The system further includes a tunneling device configured to be inserted into a body of a patient to direct the proximal end of the cannula adjacent to the inlet for connection thereto. The cannula further includes a first connecting structure. The tunneling device further includes a second connecting structure. The first and second connecting structures are selectively engageable to allow connection and disconnection between the cannula and tunneling device.

The present invention relates to a rotary blood pump with a double pivot contact bearing system with an operating range between about 50 mL/min and about 1500 mL/min, wherein the force on the upper bearing is less than 3N during operating speeds up to 6000 rpm. The rotary blood pump is part of a blood pump system that includes blood conduit(s), a control system with optional sensors, and a power source. Embodiments of the present invention may include elements designed to increase the length of time the rotary blood system can operate effectively in vivo, including wear resistant bearing materials, a rotor back plate for magnetic attraction of the rotor to reduce bearing pivot bearing forces and wear, a rotor size and shape and a bearing gap that combine to create a hydrodynamic bearing effect and reduce bearing pivot bearing forces and wear, improved intravascular conduits with increased resistance to thrombosis, conduit insertion site cuffs to resist infection, and conduit side ports amenable to the easy insertion of guidewire and catheter-based medical devices to treat conduits and related blood vessels to maintain blood pump system function over time.

A blood pump system for persistently increasing the overall diameter and lumen diameter of peripheral veins and arteries by persistently increasing the speed of blood and the wall shear stress in a peripheral vein or artery for a period of time sufficient to result in a persistent increase in the overall diameter and lumen diameter of the vessel is provided. The blood pump system includes a blood pump, blood conduit(s), a control system with optional sensors, and a power source. The pump system is configured to connect to the vascular system in a patient and pump blood at a desired rate and pulsatility. The pumping of blood is monitored and adjusted, as necessary, to maintain the desired elevated blood speed, wall shear stress, and desired pulsatility in the target vessel to optimize the rate and extent of persistent increase in the overall diameter and lumen diameter of the target vessel.

A poly(ether-carbonate)-based polymer and a medical device that includes such polymer, wherein the poly(ether-carbonate)-based polymer includes urethane, urea, or urethane-urea groups, hard segments, and soft segments, wherein the soft segments include poly(ether-carbonate) residues and at least one of polyisobutylene (PIB) residues and hydrogenated polybutadiene residues, and the hard segments include diisocyanate residues and optionally chain extender residues.

An extracorporeal blood circulation system reduces the risk of generation of air bubbles entering the circulation circuit associated with placement of a pressure sensor that detects a patient's blood pressure at a blood removal line. Instead of directly measuring pressure at the blood removal line where suction exists, an intermediate part pressure sensor detects pressure between a centrifugal pump and an oxygenator. A controller identifies a discharge pressure specific to the centrifugal pump based on a rotation speed of the pump and a blood flow rate. The discharge pressure and the intermediate pressure values are combined to estimate the pressure at the blood removal line.

A mechanical circulatory support device includes an inner housing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a flow path there between. The flow path defines a longitudinal axis. A volute downstream of the outlet end has an outlet port. A rotor mounted within the inner housing upstream of the volute and configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis is included. The volute includes an inner surface having a minimum radius immediately adjacent the rotor and a maximum radius at the outlet port that is larger than the minimum radius.

A system for extracorporeal organ support can include an organ chamber and a cross-circulation circuit. The organ camber can be configured to hold an extracorporeal organ. The cross-circulation circuit be configured to connect the extracorporeal organ and a host organism to maintain the extracorporeal organ by perfusing veno-arterial-venous (V-AV) blood through the extracorporeal organ and the host organism, wherein physiologic stability of the host organism is maintained.

A system for extracorporeal organ support can include an organ chamber and a cross-circulation circuit. The organ camber can be configured to hold an extracorporeal organ. The cross-circulation circuit be configured to connect the extracorporeal organ and a host organism to maintain the extracorporeal organ by perfusing veno-arterial-venous (V-AV) blood through the extracorporeal organ and the host organism, wherein physiologic stability of the host organism is maintained.

Intravascular blood pumps and methods of use. The blood pump include a pump portion that includes a collapsible blood conduit defining a blood flow lumen between an inflow and an outflow. The pump portion includes a distal collapsible impeller axially spaced from a proximal collapsible impeller, at least a portion of each of the distal and proximal collapsible impellers disposed between the inflow and the outflow.

Intravascular blood pumps and methods of use. The blood pump include a pump portion that includes a collapsible blood conduit defining a blood flow lumen between an inflow and an outflow. The pump portion includes a distal collapsible impeller axially spaced from a proximal collapsible impeller, at least a portion of each of the distal and proximal collapsible impellers disposed between the inflow and the outflow.