A ventricular assist device includes a housing assembly with a pressurized inner chamber, an impeller, an electric motor and a distance sensor. The electric motor includes a controller, a stator and a rotor. The stator and the controller are located in the housing assembly, outside of the pressurized inner chamber and are electrically coupled. The impeller and the rotor are located in the pressurized inner chamber and fixedly coupled. The distance sensor is located in the housing assembly, outside of the pressurized inner chamber and electrically coupled to the controller. The distance sensor senses a distance value of the rotor to a cavity wall of the pressurized inner chamber, and further transmits the distance value to the controller. The controller controls a magnetic force between the stator and the rotor according to the distance value, so as to control a suspension and rotation of the rotor.

An optical sensor assembly for use in a blood pump assembly comprising a visor affixed to a pump housing of the blood pump assembly. A support jacket is in contact with an inner surface of the visor, and defines a cavity in which an optical sensor is disposed. A silicone composition is introduced into the cavity, where it cures. The silicone composition within the cavity protects the optical sensor, and the support jacket prevents the overflowing of the silicone composition and contamination of the visor. The silicone composition comprises a silicone component and a plasticizer with a silicone to plasticizer ratio selected to provide one or more of the desired rigidity, tackiness, adhesion strength, viscosity, shelf life, pot life, and curing properties. The silicone composition may comprise more than one silicone component. A method of manufacturing the optical sensor assembly and the silicone composition.

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.

Sensors for catheter pumps are disclosed herein. The catheter pump can include a catheter assembly comprising a catheter and a cannula coupled to a distal portion of the catheter. The cannula can have a proximal port for permitting the flow of blood therethrough. The catheter assembly can include a sensor to be disposed near the proximal port. A processing unit can be programmed to process a signal detected by the sensor. The processing unit can comprise a computer-readable set of rules to evaluate the signal to determine a position of the cannula relative to an aortic valve of a patient.

A blood pump including a housing having an inlet element, the inlet element including a distal portion coupled to the housing and a proximal portion sized to be received within at least a portion of a heart of a patient and a rotor configured to rotate within the housing and impel blood from the heart. At least one pressure sensor is coupled to the proximal portion of the inlet element.

Systems and methods are provided for insertion of a medical device into a blood vessel. The system may include a sheath assembly with an introducer sheath and a variable size repositioning sheath. The variable size repositioning sheath may be configured to be adjustable in size in a radial direction and to be inserted into the blood vessel or an expandable introducer sheath. In some aspects, the system may include an intracardiac device such as a blood pump with an elongate catheter.

A blood pump with an integrated flow sensor is provided. The blood pump may include an implantable pump for pumping blood having a housing, a flow path extending within the housing and at least one movable element within the housing for impelling blood along the flow path and a sensor for measuring the flow rate of blood through the pump. According to one embodiment, the sensor may be mounted to the housing of the pump. In accordance with a further embodiment, the housing may have an exterior surface defining a cavity, and the sensor may be located within the cavity.

A circulation assist system measures impeller displacement for use in estimating a blood flow rate related parameter. A circulation assist system includes a blood pump and a controller. The blood pump includes an impeller magnetically supported within a blood flow channel. The blood pump includes one or more sensors configured to generate output indicative of displacement of the impeller along the blood flow channel induced by a blood-flow induced thrust load applied to the impeller. The controller is configured to process the output generated by the one or more sensors to determine the displacement of the impeller along the blood flow channel. The controller is configured to process the determined displacement of the impeller to estimate at least one of the thrust load applied to the impeller, a pressure differential of the blood impelled through the blood flow channel, and a flow rate of blood pumped by the blood pump.

The invention concerns a control device for controlling a blood flow of an intravascular blood pump for percutaneous insertion into a patient's blood vessel, the blood pump comprising a pump unit with a drive unit for driving the pump unit and configured to convey blood from a blood flow inlet towards a blood flow outlet, wherein the control device is configured to operate the blood pump in a selectable zero-flow control mode, wherein a blood flow command signal is selected, and the control device comprises a first controller and a second controller, wherein the first controller is configured to control the blood flow by adjusting a speed command signal for the drive unit, and the second controller is configured to control a drive speed of the drive unit.

Apparatus and methods are described including a left-ventricular assist device that includes a tube configured to traverse a subject's aortic valve, with a distal portion of the tube disposed within the subject's left ventricle. A frame is disposed within the distal portion of the tube. A pump disposed within the frame pumps blood through the tube. A distal-tip element defines a straight proximal portion that defines a longitudinal axis, and a curved distal portion that is shaped such as to curve in a first direction with respect to the longitudinal axis before passing through an inflection point and curving in a second direction with respect to the longitudinal axis, such that the curved distal portion defines a bulge on one side of the longitudinal axis. Other applications are also described.