A catheter pump assembly is provided that includes a proximal a distal portion, a catheter body, an impeller, and a flow modifying structure. The catheter body has a lumen that extends along a longitudinal axis between the proximal and distal portions. The impeller is disposed at the distal portion. The impeller includes a blade with a trailing edge. The flow modifying structure is disposed downstream of the impeller. The flow modifying structure has a plurality of blades having a leading edge substantially parallel to and in close proximity to the trailing edge of the blade of the impeller and an expanse extending downstream from the leading edge. In some embodiments, the expanse has a first region with higher curvature and a second region with lower curvature. The first region is between the leading edge and the second region.

The invention relates to a device for circulatory support of the heart and to a corresponding method with a holding means which is configured such that it can be implanted intracardially in the left and/or right ventricular outflow tract of the heart by means of a catheter, preferably using an endovascular method, through a femoral access and/or a percutaneous transventricular, transseptal, transapical or transvenous access, wherein the holding means comprises an anchoring means which can be fixed in the subcommissural triangle underneath the aortic valve and the pulmonary valve, respectively in the flow direction of the blood on the ventricular side of the aortic valve and the pulmonary valve, respectively, a pump which is configured such that it can be fixed in the holding means by means of a catheter, preferably using an endovascular method, through a femoral access and/or a percutaneous transventricular, transseptal, transapical or transvenous access, wherein the pump (a) can either be inserted releasably into the holding means after the holding means has been fixed by means of the anchoring means in the subcommissural triangles underneath the aortic valve and the pulmonary valve, respectively or (b) is firmly connected to the collapsible and expandable anchoring means.

An impeller includes a hub, and a plurality of blades supported by the hub, the blades being arranged in at least two blade rows. The impeller has a deployed configuration in which the blades extend away from the hub, and a stored configuration in which at least one of the blades is radially compressed, for example by folding the blade towards the hub. The impeller may also have an operational configuration in which at least some of the blades are deformed from the deployed configuration upon rotation of the impeller when in the deployed configuration. The outer edge of one or more blades may have a winglet, and the base of the blades may have an associated indentation to facilitate folding of the blades.

To provide a simple embodiment of a rotor for a fluid pump which is nevertheless very flexible in handling and compressible, in accordance with the invention a conveying blade is provided having at least two struts and a membrane spanned between them in the expanded state, wherein the struts each have at least one joint, in particular more than one joint, which enables an angling in a first direction in a first movement plane and bounds an overelongation beyond an elongation angle of in particular 180° in the opposite second direction. In particular when a plurality of joints are provided at the struts, they, and with them the conveying blades, are particularly flexible for simple compressibility.

An impeller includes a hub and a blade supported by the hub. The impeller has a stored configuration in which the blade is compressed so that its distal end moves towards the hub, and a deployed configuration in which the blade extends away from the hub. The impeller may be part of a pump for pumping fluids, such as blood, and may include a cannula having a proximal portion with a fixed diameter, and a distal portion with an expandable diameter. The impeller may reside in the expandable portion of the cannula. The cannula may have a compressed diameter which allows it to be inserted percutaneously into a patient. Once at a desired location, the expandable portion of the cannula may be expanded and the impeller expanded to the deployed configuration. A flexible drive shaft may extend through the cannula for rotationally driving the impeller within the patient.

The invention relates to a rotor for a pump, having at least one blade, the rotor being able to be actuated to rotate about an axis of rotation in order to convey a fluid in the axial or radial direction, the rotor being able to be deformed reversibly elastically in the radial direction between a first, radially compressed state and a second, radially expanded state which the rotor adopts without the effect of external forces, and a third state of the rotor being provided in which, in pumping operation under fluid loading, the rotor is deformed from the first state to beyond the second state.

A system and method are disclosed in the field of preparing a catheter for use in a patient, in particular a catheter of an intravascular blood pump, more specifically for properly purging and de-airing the catheter. The catheter comprises an elongate tubular portion and a connected device. The elongate tubular portion is configured to be inserted into a patient's blood vessel and defines a lumen. The connected device is connected to the elongate tubular portion and has a cavity, which may accommodate a drive unit of the blood pump, and which is in fluid communication with the lumen of the elongate tubular portion. In order to securely de-air the system, a sensor, such as an accelerometer, for detecting an orientation of the connected device is provided, and a user may be guided to correct the orientation of the connected device for proper purging.

Catheter blood pumps and methods of use and manufacture. The pumps may include an expandable and collapsible shroud that defines a blood lumen. The shroud may include a polymeric scaffold along at least a portion of a length of the shroud. The pumps may include one or more impellers.

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.

A crimp tool facilitates crimping a resiliently radially compressible human-implantable catheter pump, and transferring the crimped pump into a tubular transfer sheath, by pulling the heart pump through an elongated tube that defines a tapered longitudinal bore. The bore has an inside dimension that tapers gradually along the length of the bore. A large end of the bore is sufficient to accept an uncrimped heart pump. A small end of the bore has a dimension similar to an inside dimension of the transfer sheath. A proximal end of the tube has a hub. A proximal end of a bore through the hub is configured to receive a distal end portion of the transfer sheath coaxially with the tube bore. Optionally, a latch is configured to releasably restrain the distal end portion of the transfer sheath within the hub.