A blood pump comprises a pump casing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet, and an impeller arranged in said pump casing and rotatably supported in the pump casing by a bearing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The impeller has blades for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet. The bearing comprises at least one stationary bearing portion coupled to the pump casing and having a stationary bearing surface that faces radially outwards. The bearing further comprises a rotating bearing surface interacting with the stationary bearing surface to form the bearing, wherein the rotating bearing surface faces radially inwards and is formed on an exposed radially inner edge of the blades. The blades are designed to draw blood deposit on the stationary bearing surface in a radially outward direction.

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.

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.

A method for treating a patient may include establishing an anastomosis between a pulmonary artery and an aorta; and pumping blood from the pulmonary artery to the aorta when the pulmonary artery has a pressure lower than or equal to a pressure of the aorta.

This centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes an impeller (10) provided in a blood chamber (7), and a plurality of coils (20) provided in a motor chamber (8) for driving the impeller (10) to rotate with a dividing wall (6) interposed therebetween. A flexible substrate (23) in the shape of a strip is arranged to surround outer circumferences of the plurality of coils (20), and is connected to the plurality of coils (20) and a connector (24). A driving voltage (VU, VV, VW) is externally supplied to the plurality of coils (20) via the connector (24) and the flexible substrate (23). Thus, assembling workability, productivity and reliability are improved.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an implantable blood pump includes a housing defining a flow path, a rotor positioned within the flow path, and a motor including a stator, positioned outside of said housing, the stator including a length of silver wire, wherein the silver wire is not positioned within a hermetically sealed compartment once the blood pump is ready for implantation into a patient in need thereof. The present invention may also include a method of implanting the implantable blood pump including the step of implanting the blood pump within the patient and within or adjacent to the vasculature.

A pump device (10) includes a housing (30) including a blood inflow port (38) through which blood flows in, and having a fixed-side repulsive magnet (44) disposed in an annular manner; and an impeller (14) that is rotatably housed inside the housing (30), and having a movable-side repulsive magnet (56) disposed in an annular manner. The fixed-side repulsive magnet (44) is disposed in a position offset toward the blood inflow port (38) side relative to the movable-side repulsive magnet (56). In the fixed-side repulsive magnet (44) and the movable-side repulsive magnet (56), a fixed-side repulsive surface (44a) and a movable-side repulsive surface (56a) adjacent to each other have the same polarity.

A pump device (10) includes a housing (30) including a blood inflow port (38) through which blood flows in, and having a fixed-side repulsive magnet (44) disposed in an annular manner; and an impeller (14) that is rotatably housed inside the housing (30), and having a movable-side repulsive magnet (56) disposed in an annular manner. The fixed-side repulsive magnet (44) is disposed in a position offset toward the blood inflow port (38) side relative to the movable-side repulsive magnet (56). In the fixed-side repulsive magnet (44) and the movable-side repulsive magnet (56), a fixed-side repulsive surface (44a) and a movable-side repulsive surface (56a) adjacent to each other have the same polarity.

Systems, devices, and methods for improving wireless power transmission are disclosed herein. A method of powering an implantable ventricular assist device with an external charging device includes receiving a signal indicative of a change in a property of a deformable coil of the resonant circuit. A performance property of the deformable coil is determined based on the signal. An adjustment to a tuning of the resonant circuit is identified based on the performance property of the deformable coil. The resonant circuit is tuned according to the adjustment to the tuning of the resonant circuit. The resonant circuit is driven to transmit power to a secondary coil electrically coupled with the implantable ventricular assist device to power the ventricular assist device.

Systems, devices, and methods for improving wireless power transmission are disclosed herein. A method of powering an implantable ventricular assist device with an external charging device includes receiving a signal indicative of a change in a property of a deformable coil of the resonant circuit. A performance property of the deformable coil is determined based on the signal. An adjustment to a tuning of the resonant circuit is identified based on the performance property of the deformable coil. The resonant circuit is tuned according to the adjustment to the tuning of the resonant circuit. The resonant circuit is driven to transmit power to a secondary coil electrically coupled with the implantable ventricular assist device to power the ventricular assist device.