A ventricle unloading device intended to be implanted inside a patient's blood vessel portion through which a blood flow circulates. The device includes: a stator, a rotor arranged around the stator, the rotor having a driving impeller and a impeller engine, the impeller being an unducted impeller aimed at rotating freely within the blood vessel portion, and a static anchoring element displaying a circular part which is configured to extend around the impeller. The circular part of the static anchoring element defines a circulation area intended to contain the entire blood flow circulating through the blood vessel portion, the activation of the rotor is a pulsatile activation, and the activation is synchronized with the patient's heart contraction.

A blood pump comprises a pump casing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet connected by a passage, and an impeller arranged in said pump casing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The impeller is provided with blades sized and shaped for conveying blood along the passage from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet, and is rotatably supported in the pump casing by a first bearing at a first axial end of the impeller and a second bearing axially spaced apart from the first bearing. The first bearing comprises a projection extending along the axis of rotation and connected to one of the impeller and the pump casing and a cavity in the other one of the impeller and the pump casing, the projection comprising an enlarged portion that engages the cavity such that the first bearing and the second bearing are arranged to bear axial forces in the same axial direction.

A blood pump comprises a pump casing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet connected by a passage, and an impeller arranged in said pump casing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The impeller is provided with blades sized and shaped for conveying blood along the passage from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet, and is rotatably supported in the pump casing by a first bearing at a first axial end of the impeller and a second bearing axially spaced apart from the first bearing. The first bearing comprises a projection extending along the axis of rotation and connected to one of the impeller and the pump casing and a cavity in the other one of the impeller and the pump casing, the projection comprising an enlarged portion that engages the cavity such that the first bearing and the second bearing are arranged to bear axial forces in the same axial direction.

A blood pump is described that includes an impeller having proximal and distal bushings, at least one helical elongate element, a spring that is disposed inside of the helical elongate element and along an axis around which the helical elongate element winds, and a film of material supported between the helical elongate element and the spring. A frame is disposed around the impeller. A flexible elongate element extends radially from the spring to the helical elongate element, and maintains the helical elongate element within a given distance from the spring, to thereby maintain a gap between an outer edge of a blade of the impeller and an inner surface of the frame, during rotation of the impeller. Other applications are also described.

A blood pump is described that includes an impeller having proximal and distal bushings, at least one helical elongate element, a spring that is disposed inside of the helical elongate element and along an axis around which the helical elongate element winds, and a film of material supported between the helical elongate element and the spring. A frame is disposed around the impeller. A flexible elongate element extends radially from the spring to the helical elongate element, and maintains the helical elongate element within a given distance from the spring, to thereby maintain a gap between an outer edge of a blade of the impeller and an inner surface of the frame, during rotation of the impeller. Other applications are also described.

Methods and systems are disclosed for creating and using a neural network model to estimate a cardiac parameter of a patient, and using the estimated parameter in providing blood pump support to improve patient cardiac performance and heart health. Particular adaptations include adjusting blood pump parameters and determining whether and how to increase or decrease support, or wean the patient from the blood pump altogether. The model is created based on neural network processing of data from a first patient set and includes measured hemodynamic and pump parameters compared to a cardiac parameter measured in situ, for example the left ventricular volume measured by millar (in animals) or inca (in human) catheter. After development of a model based on the first set of patients, the model is applied to a patient in a second set to estimate the cardiac parameter without use of an additional catheter or direct measurement.

Methods and systems are disclosed for creating and using a neural network model to estimate a cardiac parameter of a patient, and using the estimated parameter in providing blood pump support to improve patient cardiac performance and heart health. Particular adaptations include adjusting blood pump parameters and determining whether and how to increase or decrease support, or wean the patient from the blood pump altogether. The model is created based on neural network processing of data from a first patient set and includes measured hemodynamic and pump parameters compared to a cardiac parameter measured in situ, for example the left ventricular volume measured by millar (in animals) or inca (in human) catheter. After development of a model based on the first set of patients, the model is applied to a patient in a second set to estimate the cardiac parameter without use of an additional catheter or direct measurement.

A controller for an implantable blood pump including processing circuitry in communication with the implantable blood pump and configured to generate at least one preventative alert.

A blood pump includes an impeller; a drive shaft coupled to the impeller and configured to rotate with the impeller; a motor configured to drive the impeller; and a bearing assembly disposed adjacent the motor and configured to receive an end of the drive shaft. The bearing assembly includes a bearing, where the end of the drive shaft is at least partially rounded, and the where the bearing includes a concave depression defined in a first side of the bearing, where the depression is configured to receive the end of the drive shaft. The bearing assembly may include a lubricant chamber configured to hold a lubricant.

A blood pump includes an impeller; a drive shaft coupled to the impeller and configured to rotate with the impeller; a motor configured to drive the impeller; and a bearing assembly disposed adjacent the motor and configured to receive an end of the drive shaft. The bearing assembly includes a bearing, where the end of the drive shaft is at least partially rounded, and the where the bearing includes a concave depression defined in a first side of the bearing, where the depression is configured to receive the end of the drive shaft. The bearing assembly may include a lubricant chamber configured to hold a lubricant.