A minimally invasive miniaturized percutaneous mechanical circulatory support system for transcatheter delivery of a pump to the heart that actively unloads the left ventricle by pumping blood from the left ventricle into the ascending aorta and systemic circulation. The pump may include a tubular housing, a motor, an impeller configured to be rotated by the motor, and a distal tip of the pump. The tip may include a guidewire lumen with a curved and/or extended contour. The system may have an insertion tool having a tubular body and configured to axially movably receive the circulatory support device, and an introducer sheath configured to axially movably receive the insertion tool. A coupling allows for connection and disconnection of the insertion tool and introducer sheath. The coupling may include hexagonal portions for self-alignment and haptic feedback.

A minimally invasive miniaturized percutaneous mechanical circulatory support system for transcatheter delivery of a pump to the heart that actively unloads the left ventricle by pumping blood from the left ventricle into the ascending aorta and systemic circulation. The pump may include a tubular housing, a motor, an impeller configured to be rotated by the motor, and a distal tip of the pump. The tip may include a guidewire lumen with a curved and/or extended contour. The system may have an insertion tool having a tubular body and configured to axially movably receive the circulatory support device, and an introducer sheath configured to axially movably receive the insertion tool. A coupling allows for connection and disconnection of the insertion tool and introducer sheath. The coupling may include hexagonal portions for self-alignment and haptic feedback.

The invention relates to a method for determining a total fluid volume flow (1) in the region of an implanted vascular support system (2), comprising the following steps: a) determining a reference temperature (3) of the fluid, b) determining a motor temperature (4) of an electric motor (5) of the support system (2), c) determining the thermal dissipation loss (6) of the electric motor (5), d) ascertaining the total fluid volume flow (1) using the reference temperature (3), the motor temperature (4), and the thermal dissipation loss (6) of the electric motor (5).

A blood circulation system that can be connected to a human body is provided. The system may include a roller pump, a blood removal line through which blood removed from the human body flows to the roller pump, a blood transfer line that transfers blood, which is sent from the roller pump, to the human body, means for measuring a blood removal rate provided in the blood removal line to measure a blood removal rate parameter of blood flowing through the blood removal line and a control unit, wherein the control unit is programmed to control a blood transfer rate of the roller pump by controlling a rotational speed of the roller pump with a control signal, such that a transfer rate of blood flowing through the blood transfer line is synchronized with a removal rate calculated from the blood removal rate parameter.

A method and apparatus for long-term assisting the left ventricle of a heart to pump blood is disclosed which includes at least one transluminally deliverable pump and a transluminally deliverable support structure which secures the at least one pump within the aorta for long-term use.

A method and apparatus for long-term assisting the left ventricle of a heart to pump blood is disclosed which includes at least one transluminally deliverable pump and a transluminally deliverable support structure which secures the at least one pump within the aorta for long-term use.

Disclosed is an assembly for fitting/removing a heart pump in a sleeve secured in an opening in a ventricular wall, the assembly including a guide element with a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending between, and opening at, the distal and proximal ends, the heart pump having a pump body. With this pump body including an assembly element, the assembly includes a gripping unit which can slide in the lumen, the gripping unit having at its free end an assembly part which is complementary with the assembly element, which part is configured to cooperate with the assembly element, and to join this free end to the pump body, in order to permit the gripping and displacement of the heart pump.

A method and apparatus for long-term assisting the left ventricle of a heart to pump blood is disclosed which includes at least one transluminally deliverable pump and a transluminally deliverable support structure which secures the at least one pump within the aorta for long-term use.

A method and apparatus for long-term assisting the left ventricle of a heart to pump blood is disclosed which includes at least one transluminally deliverable pump and a transluminally deliverable support structure which secures the at least one pump within the aorta for long-term use.

A catheter pump is provided that includes a rotatable impeller and an elongate cannula. The elongate cannula has a mesh that has a plurality of circumferential members disposed about the impeller. The elongate cannula has a plurality of axial connector extending between a proximal side of a distal circumferential member and a distal side of a proximal circumferential member. The circumferential members are radially self-expandable. The cannula is configured to minimize fracture within at least in the distal zone of the mesh as the elongated cannula moves into a sheathing device.