A catheter pump assembly is provided. The catheter pump assembly includes a proximal portion, a distal portion, a catheter body having a lumen extending along a longitudinal axis between the proximal and distal portions, an impeller disposed at the distal portion, and a stator disposed at a downstream location of the impeller to straighten flow downstream from the impeller. The stator is collapsible from a deployed configuration to a collapsed configuration.

A catheter pump assembly is provided. The catheter pump assembly includes a proximal portion, a distal portion, a catheter body having a lumen extending along a longitudinal axis between the proximal and distal portions, an impeller disposed at the distal portion, and a stator disposed at a downstream location of the impeller to straighten flow downstream from the impeller. The stator is collapsible from a deployed configuration to a collapsed configuration.

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 intravascular blood pump having a drive section (11), a catheter (14) fastened to the drive section proximally and a pump section (12) fastened to the drive section distally possesses an electric motor (21) whose motor shaft (25) is mounted in the drive section (11) with two radial sliding bearings (27, 31) and an axial sliding bearing (40). During operation, purge fluid is conveyed through the bearing gap of the axial sliding bearing (40) and further through the radial sliding bearing (31) at the distal end of the drive section (11). The purge fluid is highly viscous, for example 20% glucose solution.

An intravascular blood pump having a drive section (11), a catheter (14) fastened to the drive section proximally and a pump section (12) fastened to the drive section distally possesses an electric motor (21) whose motor shaft (25) is mounted in the drive section (11) with two radial sliding bearings (27, 31) and an axial sliding bearing (40). During operation, purge fluid is conveyed through the bearing gap of the axial sliding bearing (40) and further through the radial sliding bearing (31) at the distal end of the drive section (11). The purge fluid is highly viscous, for example 20% glucose solution.

Apparatus and methods are described including a left-ventricular assist device (20) that includes a pump-outlet tube (28). A mixed-flow impeller (100) is configured to pump blood from a subjects left ventricle to the subjects aorta, by pumping the blood into the pump-outlet tube (28) via one or more blood inlet openings (108) disposed within the left ventricle, and by pumping blood out of the pump-outlet tube (28) via one or more blood outlet openings (30) disposed within the aorta. The mixed-flow impeller (100) includes an expandable portion (116) disposed along its axis and shaped such that a diameter of the expandable portion increases from a distal end of the expandable portion to its proximal end. The mixed-flow impeller (100) is configured to impart radial flow components to blood as the blood flows from its distal end to its proximal end. Other applications are also described.

The invention relates to, amongst other things, a catheter device comprising a catheter (24) in which a rotating shaft (25) which is made at least partially from a magnetic material is arranged, and a separating device which contains an annular body (27) surrounding the rotating shaft and having a cavity containing a magnetic body (13′), the magnetic body being arranged downstream from a point at which the shaft (25) exits the catheter (24) which it surrounds with respect to the direction of flow of the fluid through the catheter.

The present disclosure provides catheter pump system including a catheter assembly configured to be at least partially inserted into a left ventricle (LV). The catheter assembly has a proximal end and a distal end, and includes an elongate body extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The catheter pump system further includes a pressure sensor disposed at the distal end and configured to measure a pressure within a left ventricle when the catheter assembly is inserted.

A catheter pump system is provided. The catheter pump system includes a catheter pump and a fluid system located within the catheter pump. The catheter pump has a proximal end, a distal end, and an elongate body extending therebetween, the elongate body defining at least an inner lumen at least partially sealed by a septum located at the distal end. The fluid system is configured to pressurize the catheter pump with fluid. The catheter pump further includes a moisture absorbing seal proximate the septum.

Apparatus comprising and methods are described including a blood pump that includes an axial shaft, and an impeller disposed on the axial shaft. The impeller is configured to pump blood of the subject by rotating. The impeller and the axial shaft are configured to undergo axial back-and-forth motion during operation of the impeller. A distal tip element is disposed at a distal end of the blood pump. The distal tip element defines an axial-shaft-receiving tube, configured to receive at least a portion of the axial shaft during forward motion of the axial shaft. The distal tip element additionally defines an atraumatic distal tip portion disposed distally of the axial-shaft-receiving tube. Other applications are also described.