A heart pump including: a housing forming a cavity including: at least one inlet aligned with an axis of the cavity; and, at least one outlet provided in a circumferential outer wall of the cavity; an impeller provided within the cavity, the impeller including vanes for urging fluid from the inlet to the outlet; and, a drive for rotating the impeller in the cavity and wherein a flow path through the pump has a minimal cross-sectional area of at least 50 mm.sup.2.

Disclosed herein is an implantable blood pump assembly that includes a housing defining an inlet, an outlet, a flow path extending from the inlet to the outlet, and an internal compartment separated from the flow path. The blood pump assembly further includes a rotor positioned within the flow path and operable to pump blood from the inlet to the outlet, a stator positioned within the internal compartment and operable to drive the rotor, and an inlet conduit connected to the housing inlet and having a downstream end that has a reduced cross-sectional area that produces a localized region of high velocity blood flow. The blood pump assembly further includes at least one pressure sensor positioned between the inlet and the outlet and configured to detect a pressure of blood flowing through the flow path. The pressure sensor is located adjacent the downstream end of the inlet conduit.

The present invention relates to a fluid pump that comprises a housing having an inlet opening for receiving the fluid, an outlet opening for discharging the fluid and enclosing an impeller rotating inside the housing to pump the fluid from the inlet opening to the outlet opening and a motor assembly to drive the impeller. The housing is shaped to establish a single turn volute of 360 turn angle providing a first conveying channel located peripherally around the impeller from a fluid entry point at 0 turn angle to a fluid exit point at 360 turn angle of the single turn volute being connected to the outlet opening. The first conveying channel has a first cross section area in radial direction perpendicular to the rotational plane of the impeller, where a size of the first cross section area increases as a monotonic increasing function of the turn angle between entry point and exit point.

A centrifugal blood pump uses the double suction arrangement of the blood flow channels, by dividing the blood flow across the impeller into two practically identical streams, one flowing across the upstream side of the impeller and the other flowing across the downstream side. The double suction arrangement is obtained by using a flow through cone bearing mounted to the hub of the impeller. The impeller is attached to the driving motor by three posts, which do not significantly diminish the flow area. The annular flow through the motor air gap reaches the flow channel as a single stream and divides into two streams in the vicinity of the posts. The flow is distributed equally to the two sides of the impeller. After passing across the impeller the two streams combine into one that enters the spiral volute and continues past the pump cutwater and through the outflow channel.

A ventricular assist device includes a pump configured to pump blood of a patient. A motor is configured to operate the pump. First, second, and third conductors are coupled to the motor and are configured to supply electric current from a power supply to the motor in first, second, and third phases, respectively. A controller is configured to operate the motor using a Field Oriented Control (FOC) method, and if one from the group consisting of first, second and third conductors becomes unable to supply electric current to the motor, the controller continues to operate the motor using the FOC method using the phases of the two conductors that are able to supply electric current to the motor.

A blood pump casing including a unitary body. The unitary body defines an inlet chamber extending along a first axis and having a first radius perpendicular to the first axis. A transition chamber is connected to the inlet chamber and has a wall extending in a circumferential direction around the first axis, the wall has a major radius and a minor radius from the first axis, the major radius being greater than the first radius. A post extends from the transition chamber into the inlet chamber along the first axis, the post tapers in the direction around the first axis toward the inlet chamber. An outlet is connected to the transition chamber and extends along a second axis transverse to the first axis.

A heart pump including: a housing forming a cavity including: at least one inlet aligned with an axis of the cavity; and, at least one outlet provided in a circumferential outer wall of the cavity; an impeller provided within the cavity, the impeller including vanes for urging fluid from the inlet to the outlet; and, a drive for rotating the impeller in the cavity and wherein a flow path through the pump has a minimal cross-sectional area of at least 50 mm.sup.2.

A heart pump including: a housing forming a cavity including: at least one inlet aligned with an axis of the cavity; and, at least one outlet provided in a circumferential outer wall of the cavity; an impeller provided within the cavity, the impeller including vanes for urging fluid from the inlet to the outlet; and, a drive for rotating the impeller in the cavity and wherein a flow path through the pump has a minimal cross-sectional area of at least 50 mm.sup.2.

Mechanical circulatory supports configured to operate in series with the native heart are disclosed. In an embodiment, a centrifugal pump is used. In an embodiment, inlet and outlet ports are connected into the aorta and blood flow is diverted through a lumen and a centrifugal pump between the inlet and outlet ports. The supports may create a pressure rise between about 40-80 mmHg, and maintain a flow rate of about 5 L/min. The support may be configured to be inserted in a collinear manner with the descending aorta. The support may be optimized to replicate naturally occurring vortex formation within the aorta. Diffusers of different dimensions and configurations, such as helical configuration, and/or the orientation of installation may be used to optimize vortex formation. The support may use an impeller which is electromagnetically suspended, stabilized, and rotated to pump blood.

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.