A heart pump assembly includes an impeller blade coupled to a rotor or a drive shaft, a cannula, a distal projection coupled to a distal end of the cannula and a blood inlet having a plurality of apertures. The plurality of apertures is radially oriented and disposed about a circumference of the cannula. The plurality of apertures includes at least a first ring of apertures which are proximal to the distal projection and a second ring of apertures which are proximal of the first ring of apertures. The plurality of apertures can allow the heart pump assembly to continue to function if anatomical structures or tissue become suctioned to a portion of the heart pump.

The invention relates to a method for determining at least a flow velocity or a fluid volume flow (5) of a fluid flowing through an implanted vascular support system (1), comprising the following steps: a) carrying out a pulsed Doppler measurement by means of an ultrasonic sensor (2) of the support system (1), b) evaluating a measurement result from step a), which has a possible ambiguity, c) providing at least one operating parameter of a flow machine (3) of the support system (1), d) determining at least the flow velocity or the fluid volume flow (5) using the measurement result evaluated in step b), wherein the possible ambiguity of the measurement result is corrected using the operating parameter.

Mechanical circulatory support systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some examples, the present technology comprises a system for providing cardiac support to a patient where the system comprises a first elongated shaft configured to receive a delivery catheter therethrough, a second elongated shaft, and a pressure source coupled to the first and second elongated shafts. The first elongated shaft may have a distal end portion configured to be intravascularly positioned at a first cardiovascular location, and the second elongated shaft may have a distal end portion configured to be intravascularly positioned at a second cardiovascular location downstream of the first location. Pressure generated by the pressure source pulls blood from the first location proximally through the first shaft to the pressure source, then pushes the blood distally through the second shaft and into circulatory flow at the second cardiovascular location, thereby providing mechanical circulatory support to the patient.

An intravascular blood pump (P) comprises a catheter (5) and a pumping device (1) attached to a distal end (15) of the catheter (5). The blood pump (P) is advanced through a patient's blood vessel by means of the catheter (5). The catheter (5) has an elongate tubular body (10) and a porous three-dimensional structure (6) provided on at least a portion of the outer surface (8) of the catheter body (10) to promote adsorption of proteins and formation of an autologous graft (7) to prevent the catheter (5) from growing into the inner wall of the blood vessel. The porous three-dimensional structure (6) may be formed as a textile sleeve (6), preferably made of a warp knitted fabric.

An intravascular blood pump (P) comprises a catheter (5) and a pumping device (1) attached to a distal end (15) of the catheter (5). The blood pump (P) is advanced through a patient's blood vessel by means of the catheter (5). The catheter (5) has an elongate tubular body (10) and a porous three-dimensional structure (6) provided on at least a portion of the outer surface (8) of the catheter body (10) to promote adsorption of proteins and formation of an autologous graft (7) to prevent the catheter (5) from growing into the inner wall of the blood vessel. The porous three-dimensional structure (6) may be formed as a textile sleeve (6), preferably made of a warp knitted fabric.

An extracorporeal blood pump assembly includes a blood pump and an extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO). The blood pump includes a pump housing, a rotor, and a flow converter positioned downstream from the rotor to convert non-axial flow from the rotor to axial flow. The pump housing defines an inlet and an outlet. The ECMO includes a membrane housing and an oxygenator membrane disposed within the membrane housing. The membrane housing is removably connected to the pump housing at one of the pump housing inlet and the pump housing outlet.

A disclosed apparatus or method can include or use a non-transluminally implantable blood pump housing, which can be sized and shaped to be implanted at an aortic valve of a human subject, the pump housing can include: a pump housing cross-sectional profile size that is larger than is passable via a blood vessel of the human subject; and a power connection, configured for being electrically connected to an intravascular lead that is sized and shaped to extend from the pump housing through a subclavian artery of the human subject.

Apparatus and methods are described including a left-ventricular assist device that includes an impeller configured to be placed inside a subject's left ventricle and to pump blood from the left ventricle to the subject's aorta, by rotating. A frame is disposed around the impeller. A tube traverses the subject's aortic valve, such that a proximal portion of the tube is disposed within the aorta and a distal portion of the tube is disposed within the left ventricle. The distal portion of the tube extends to the distal end of the frame and defines more than 10 blood-inlet openings that are sized such as (a) to allow blood to flow from the subject's left ventricle into the tube and (b) to block structures from the subject's left ventricle from entering into the frame. Other applications are also described.

A method of fixating an implantable heart help device in a human patient is provided. The method comprises the steps of: cutting the skin of said human patient, dissecting an area of the body comprising bone, and fixating said implantable heart help device to said part of the body comprising bone.

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.