An intravascular blood pump (P) comprises a catheter (5) and a pumping device (1) attached to a distal end (15) of the catheter (5). The blood pump (P) is advanced through a patient's blood vessel by means of the catheter (5). The catheter (5) has an elongate tubular body (10) and a porous three-dimensional structure (6) provided on at least a portion of the outer surface (8) of the catheter body (10) to promote adsorption of proteins and formation of an autologous graft (7) to prevent the catheter (5) from growing into the inner wall of the blood vessel. The porous three-dimensional structure (6) may be formed as a textile sleeve (6), preferably made of a warp knitted fabric.

An implantable cardiovascular blood pump system is provided, suitable for use as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) system, having an implantable cardiovascular pump, an extracorporeal battery and a controller coupled to the implantable pump, and a programmer selectively periodically coupled to the controller to configure and adjust operating parameters of the implantable cardiovascular pump. The implantable cardiovascular blood pump includes a coaxial inflow cannula and outflow cannula in fluid communication with one another and with a pumping mechanism. The pumping mechanism may be a vibrating membrane pump which may include a flexible membrane coupled to an electromagnetic actuator assembly that causes wavelike undulations to propagate along the flexible membrane to propel blood through the implantable cardiovascular pump. The implantable cardiovascular pump may be programmed to operate at frequencies and duty cycles that mimic physiologic flow rates and pulsatility while avoiding thrombus formation, hemolysis and/or platelet activation.

The invention relates to an impeller (1) for an implantable, vascular support system (2), at least comprising: —an impeller body (3) having a first longitudinal portion (4) and a second longitudinal portion (5); —at least one blade (6) formed in the first longitudinal portion (4) and designed to axially convey a fluid by means of a rotational movement; —at least one magnet (7) provided and encapsulated in the second longitudinal portion (5).

The invention relates to an impeller (1) for an implantable, vascular support system (2), at least comprising: —an impeller body (3) having a first longitudinal portion (4) and a second longitudinal portion (5); —at least one blade (6) formed in the first longitudinal portion (4) and designed to axially convey a fluid by means of a rotational movement; —at least one magnet (7) provided and encapsulated in the second longitudinal portion (5).

A system and method of unloading a heart chamber is described. The chamber can be a ventricle and the system can unload the ventricle during or after a heart attack. The ventricular unloading system includes a transthoracic needle insertable into the ventricle, a vascular access cannula insertable into a blood vessel, and a pump to move blood from the ventricle to the blood vessel through the transthoracic needle and the vascular access cannula. The ventricular unloading system can be used by an emergency medical technician in a non-hospital setting. Accordingly, the ventricular unloading system can provide early protection against infarct to improve clinical outcomes for a patient. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

A system and method of unloading a heart chamber is described. The chamber can be a ventricle and the system can unload the ventricle during or after a heart attack. The ventricular unloading system includes a transthoracic needle insertable into the ventricle, a vascular access cannula insertable into a blood vessel, and a pump to move blood from the ventricle to the blood vessel through the transthoracic needle and the vascular access cannula. The ventricular unloading system can be used by an emergency medical technician in a non-hospital setting. Accordingly, the ventricular unloading system can provide early protection against infarct to improve clinical outcomes for a patient. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Blood pump assemblies and methods of manufacturing and operating blood pump assemblies are provided. The blood pump assembly includes a pump and an impeller blade rotatably coupled to the pump. The blood pump assembly also includes a pump housing component sized for passage through a body lumen and coupled to the pump. The pump housing component includes a peripheral wall extending about a rotation axis of the impeller blade. The peripheral wall includes an inner peripheral wall surface and an outer peripheral wall surface. The peripheral wall also includes one or more blood exhaust apertures. Each blood exhaust aperture in the one or more blood exhaust apertures is defined by an inner aperture edge and an outer aperture edge. Each inner aperture edge is chamfered between the inner peripheral wall surface and the outer peripheral wall surface.

Apparatus and methods are described including a left-ventricular assist device that includes an impeller configured to be placed inside a subject's left ventricle and to pump blood from the left ventricle to the subject's aorta, by rotating. A frame is disposed around the impeller. A tube traverses the subject's aortic valve, such that a proximal portion of the tube is disposed within the aorta and a distal portion of the tube is disposed within the left ventricle. The distal portion of the tube extends to the distal end of the frame and defines more than 10 blood-inlet openings that are sized such as (a) to allow blood to flow from the subject's left ventricle into the tube and (b) to block structures from the subject's left ventricle from entering into the frame. Other applications are also described.

Apparatus and methods are described including a left-ventricular assist device that includes an impeller configured to be placed inside a subject's left ventricle and to pump blood from the left ventricle to the subject's aorta, by rotating. A frame is disposed around the impeller. A tube traverses the subject's aortic valve, such that a proximal portion of the tube is disposed within the aorta and a distal portion of the tube is disposed within the left ventricle. The distal portion of the tube extends to the distal end of the frame and defines more than 10 blood-inlet openings that are sized such as (a) to allow blood to flow from the subject's left ventricle into the tube and (b) to block structures from the subject's left ventricle from entering into the frame. Other applications are also described.

Systems and methods for determining the positioning of intracardiac devices, such as intracardiac blood pump assemblies, using electrical sensors configured to sense electrical potential as it propagates through the heart. In one example, the present technology provides an intracardiac device with one or more electrical sensors mounted thereon, and a controller configured to determine the absolute or relative location of the intracardiac device based on the timing, shape, and/or amplitude of the electrical signals received from the one or more sensors.