A blood pump may be provided that includes an inlet, an outlet and a rotor for delivering fluid from the inlet to the outlet, wherein the rotor is suspended within the blood pump by radial passive magnetic forces and axially is preloaded in one direction at least by way of passive magnetic forces so that, during a fluid-delivering rotation of the rotor, the axial thrust of the rotor acts counter to the magnetic attraction acting axially in the direction of the outlet.

A heart pump including a housing defining 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 is provided within the cavity, the impeller including a rotor and vanes mounted on the rotor for urging fluid from the inlet radially outwardly to the outlet. A drive is provided for rotating the impeller in the cavity, the drive including a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent drive magnets mounted within and proximate a first face of the rotor, adjacent drive magnets having opposing polarities and a plurality of circumferentially spaced drive coils mounted within the housing proximate a first end of the cavity, each coil being wound on a respective drive stator pole of a drive stator and being substantially radially aligned with the drive magnets, the drive coils being configured to generate a drive magnetic field that cooperates with the drive magnets to thereby rotate the impeller. A magnetic bearing is also provided to thereby at least one of control an axial position of the impeller and at least partially restrain radial movement of the impeller.

A heart pump including a housing defining 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 is provided within the cavity, the impeller including a rotor and vanes mounted on the rotor for urging fluid from the inlet radially outwardly to the outlet. A drive is provided for rotating the impeller in the cavity, the drive including a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent drive magnets mounted within and proximate a first face of the rotor, adjacent drive magnets having opposing polarities and a plurality of circumferentially spaced drive coils mounted within the housing proximate a first end of the cavity, each coil being wound on a respective drive stator pole of a drive stator and being substantially radially aligned with the drive magnets, the drive coils being configured to generate a drive magnetic field that cooperates with the drive magnets to thereby rotate the impeller. A magnetic bearing is also provided to thereby at least one of control an axial position of the impeller and at least partially restrain radial movement of the impeller.

Disclosed is a blood pump rotor, and an intravascular blood pump that utilizes the rotor. The blood pump rotor is configured to rotate around an axis of rotation, and comprises a distal portion and a proximal portion. The distal portion includes a rotor hub, which tapers in a distal direction. The rotor hub has at least one blade extending outward from the rotor hub. Further, a distal end of said rotor hub extends distally beyond a most distal portion of the at least one blade. The proximal portion, which is connected to the distal portion, has permanent magnets arranged so as to form a modified Halbach array generating a magnetic field having a magnetic flux in a proximal direction that is greater than a magnetic flux in a distal direction, said first magnetic flux being greater than said second magnetic flux. The Halbach array is modified such that either (a) at least one axial magnetized magnet has a most proximal point or portion of a surface that is a different distance from said distal end as compared to a most proximal point or portion of a surface of at least one circumferential magnetized magnet, (b) at least one axial magnetized magnet has a physical dimension that is different from a corresponding physical dimension of at least one circumferential magnetized magnet, or (c) a combination thereof.

Disclosed is a blood pump rotor, and an intravascular blood pump that utilizes the rotor. The blood pump rotor is configured to rotate around an axis of rotation, and comprises a distal portion and a proximal portion. The distal portion includes a rotor hub, which tapers in a distal direction. The rotor hub has at least one blade extending outward from the rotor hub. Further, a distal end of said rotor hub extends distally beyond a most distal portion of the at least one blade. The proximal portion, which is connected to the distal portion, has permanent magnets arranged so as to form a modified Halbach array generating a magnetic field having a magnetic flux in a proximal direction that is greater than a magnetic flux in a distal direction, said first magnetic flux being greater than said second magnetic flux. The Halbach array is modified such that either (a) at least one axial magnetized magnet has a most proximal point or portion of a surface that is a different distance from said distal end as compared to a most proximal point or portion of a surface of at least one circumferential magnetized magnet, (b) at least one axial magnetized magnet has a physical dimension that is different from a corresponding physical dimension of at least one circumferential magnetized magnet, or (c) a combination thereof.

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.

An intravascular blood pump (1) comprises a pump casing (2) having a blood flow inlet (21) and a blood flow outlet (22), and an impeller (3) arranged in said pump casing (2) so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the impeller (3) has blades (31) sized and shaped for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet (21) to the blood flow outlet (22). The blood pump (1) further comprises a drive unit (104) for rotating the impeller (3), the drive unit (104) comprising a plurality of posts (140) arranged about the axis of rotation (10). Coil windings (47) around the posts are sequentially controllable so as to create a rotating magnetic field. The shaft portion (141) of each of the posts (140) comprises a soft magnetic material which is discontinuous in cross-section transverse to the longitudinal axis of the respective post (140).

An intravascular blood pump (1) comprises a pump casing (2) having a blood flow inlet (21) and a blood flow outlet (22), and an impeller (3) arranged in said pump casing (2) so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the impeller (3) has blades (31) sized and shaped for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet (21) to the blood flow outlet (22). The blood pump (1) further comprises a drive unit (104) for rotating the impeller (3), the drive unit (104) comprising a plurality of posts (140) arranged about the axis of rotation (10). Coil windings (47) around the posts are sequentially controllable so as to create a rotating magnetic field. The shaft portion (141) of each of the posts (140) comprises a soft magnetic material which is discontinuous in cross-section transverse to the longitudinal axis of the respective post (140).

An interventional ventricular assist device (100), including: an interventional tube (10). a motor assembly (30), a perfusion cylinder (40), and an impeller assembly (20). The interventional tube (10) has a liquid inlet (11) and a liquid outlet (12). The impeller assembly (20) includes an impeller (21), accommodated within the interventional tube (10) and rotatable to enable a liquid to flow into the interventional tube (10) via the liquid inlet (11) and out therefrom via the liquid outlet (12). The motor assembly (30) is configured to generate a rotating magnetic field to drive the impeller (21) to rotate and generate an attraction to the impeller (21). A perfusate injected from the perfusion cylinder (40) is adapted to provide a thrust to the impeller assembly (20), whereby the impeller (21) is suspendedly rotatable in the interventional tube (10) under a combined action of the thrust and the attraction.

An interventional ventricular assist device (100), including: an interventional tube (10). a motor assembly (30), a perfusion cylinder (40), and an impeller assembly (20). The interventional tube (10) has a liquid inlet (11) and a liquid outlet (12). The impeller assembly (20) includes an impeller (21), accommodated within the interventional tube (10) and rotatable to enable a liquid to flow into the interventional tube (10) via the liquid inlet (11) and out therefrom via the liquid outlet (12). The motor assembly (30) is configured to generate a rotating magnetic field to drive the impeller (21) to rotate and generate an attraction to the impeller (21). A perfusate injected from the perfusion cylinder (40) is adapted to provide a thrust to the impeller assembly (20), whereby the impeller (21) is suspendedly rotatable in the interventional tube (10) under a combined action of the thrust and the attraction.