A system for improving blood flow through a circulatory system of a patient is disclosed. The patient can have a wrist. The circulatory system can have a radial artery, an ulnar artery, and a descending aorta. The system can comprise at least one inflatable bladder that is configured to be received into the descending aorta of the patient. A pump can be configured to cyclically pump a fluid into the at least one inflatable bladder to inflate the at least one inflatable bladder. A conduit can be positioned between and in fluid communication with the at least one inflatable bladder and the pump. The conduit can be configured to communicate the fluid between the pump and the at least one inflatable bladder. The conduit can have a length of at least 110 cm.

A system for improving blood flow through a circulatory system of a patient is disclosed. The patient can have a wrist. The circulatory system can have a radial artery, an ulnar artery, and a descending aorta. The system can comprise at least one inflatable bladder that is configured to be received into the descending aorta of the patient. A pump can be configured to cyclically pump a fluid into the at least one inflatable bladder to inflate the at least one inflatable bladder. A conduit can be positioned between and in fluid communication with the at least one inflatable bladder and the pump. The conduit can be configured to communicate the fluid between the pump and the at least one inflatable bladder. The conduit can have a length of at least 110 cm.

An intravascular heart pump assembly can include a rotor with at least one impeller blade, and a cannula. The present application describes various cannulas that can be manufactured from multiple layers of material to improve flexibility, manufacturability, and durability without increasing an outer diameter of the cannula. In one embodiment, the cannula includes an inflow section having a sheet formed of a shape memory material embedded within a polymer and having at least one lateral hole or aperture in the inflow section. The at least one lateral hole is defined by a first hole in the sheet and a second hole in the outer polymer layer of the cannula. The first hole and the second hole overlap so that blood can enter the cannula through the holes.

An intravascular heart pump assembly can include a rotor with at least one impeller blade, and a cannula. The present application describes various cannulas that can be manufactured from multiple layers of material to improve flexibility, manufacturability, and durability without increasing an outer diameter of the cannula. In one embodiment, the cannula includes an inflow section having a sheet formed of a shape memory material embedded within a polymer and having at least one lateral hole or aperture in the inflow section. The at least one lateral hole is defined by a first hole in the sheet and a second hole in the outer polymer layer of the cannula. The first hole and the second hole overlap so that blood can enter the cannula through the holes.

A blood pump system includes a catheter, a pump housing disposed distal of a distal end of the catheter, a rotor positioned at least partially in the pump housing, a controller, and an electrode coupled a distal region of the blood pump. The electrode can be used to sense electrocardiogram (EKG) signals and transmit the signals to a controller of the blood pump. The operation of the blood pump can be adjusted based on the EKG signal and on cardiac parameters derived from the EKG signal. Further, the controller can determine a need for defibrillation or pacing of the patient's heart based on the signal and can administer treatment with electrical shocks to the heart via the electrode coupled to the blood pump. The use of an electrode with a blood pump already in place in the heart allows for more efficient and safer treatment of serious cardiac conditions.

A blood pump system includes a catheter, a pump housing disposed distal of a distal end of the catheter, a rotor positioned at least partially in the pump housing, a controller, and an electrode coupled a distal region of the blood pump. The electrode can be used to sense electrocardiogram (EKG) signals and transmit the signals to a controller of the blood pump. The operation of the blood pump can be adjusted based on the EKG signal and on cardiac parameters derived from the EKG signal. Further, the controller can determine a need for defibrillation or pacing of the patient's heart based on the signal and can administer treatment with electrical shocks to the heart via the electrode coupled to the blood pump. The use of an electrode with a blood pump already in place in the heart allows for more efficient and safer treatment of serious cardiac conditions.

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 medical tube or cannula comprising enhanced imaging structure and/or materials is provided. In some embodiments, an otherwise solid echogenic band may be interrupted by echolucent features and/or materials. In other embodiments, an echogenic band may be adjacent to an echolucent band, while in other embodiments one or more echolucent bands may be provided. In some cases, two or more spaced-apart echolucent bands may be provided. In some embodiments, an echolucent band may comprise an echogenic feature or materials. Generally, the juxtaposition of echogenic and echolucent materials enhances the imaging contrast of an intravascular device and allows easy identification and positioning of the juxtaposed echogenic and echolucent regions.

A medical device with an implantable blood pump and a control and sensing unit configured to determine the flow rate generated by the blood pump when driven by an electric motor, wherein the flow rate is determined using peak-to-peak current data generated by the electric motor and, in some cases, associated heart rate data. In some embodiments, the validity of pulsatility of the resulting blood flow is determined and, if out of predetermined limits, an alarm may be actuated.

A medical device with an implantable blood pump and a control and sensing unit configured to determine the flow rate generated by the blood pump when driven by an electric motor, wherein the flow rate is determined using peak-to-peak current data generated by the electric motor and, in some cases, associated heart rate data. In some embodiments, the validity of pulsatility of the resulting blood flow is determined and, if out of predetermined limits, an alarm may be actuated.