The circulation assist devices disclosed herein can be used, for example, in methods of decreasing venous pressure in the Fontan circulation. The devices can include an inlet, an outlet, a stator, a rotor, and an impeller driven by rotation of the rotor. In some embodiments, the impeller blade (or blades) can at least partially define a central lumen extending through the device. The device can be coupled to the inferior vena cava and the pulmonary artery. Rotating the impeller blade(s) increases blood velocity through the lumen and causes the outlet pressure to be higher than the inlet pressure. The impeller can be configured such that, when it is stationary, the forward static pressure drop between the inlet and the outlet is minimized. That is, the forward static pressure drop of the device approximates the pressure drop between the inferior vena cava and central pulmonary artery of the unassisted Fontan circulation.

Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods that employ a pump to assist or support blood flow. An apparatus for pumping blood may include a pump housing having an outer wall disposed about a longitudinal pump axis, and having an upstream end and a downstream end; a blood flow straightener having a plurality of fins and positioned in the upstream end of the pump housing and secured to the pump housing by the plurality of fins; a diffuser having a plurality of diffuser fins and positioned in the downstream end of the pump housing and secured to the pump housing by the plurality of diffuser fins; and an impeller positioned between the blood flow straightener and the diffuser, and including a plurality of impeller blades. The apparatus may further include a pump drive configured to impart a rotational motion to the impeller by applying a magnetic field.

A system for assisting a circulation of blood inside a body of a patient includes a pump including: a housing having an upstream portion and a downstream portion; an inducer positioned in the upstream portion of the housing, the inducer including one or more helically-wound inducer blades to rotate around a longitudinal axis of the pump; an impeller positioned downstream of the inducer in the housing, the impeller including one or more impeller blades to rotate around the longitudinal axis of the pump; and a diffuser positioned in the downstream portion of the housing, to direct blood through at least one aperture in a circumference of the housing.

A heart pump assembly having a blood inlet configured to increase blood flow into the heart pump assembly is disclosed herein. The heart pump assembly includes a motor housing, a cannula connected to the motor housing, and a blood inlet connected to the cannula. The blood inlet has a distal body portion, a proximal body portion defining an inlet conduit therewithin, and a plurality of cage openings defined and positioned between the distal and proximal body portions. The inlet conduit has one of a tapered portion, a frustrum-shaped portion, or both a tapered portion and a frustrum-shaped portion and is adapted to reduce flow turbulence at the blood inlet and increase the blood flow into the heart pump.

The invention generally relates to improved medical blood pump devices, systems, and methods. For example, blood pumps may be provided that include a housing defining a blood flow path between an inlet and an outlet. A rotor may be positioned in the blood flow path. A motor stator may be driven to rotate the rotor to provide the blood flow through the pump. Axial and/or tilt stabilization components may be provided to increase an axial and/or tilt stabilization of the rotor within the blood flow path. In some embodiments, biasing forces are provided that urge the rotor toward a bearing component. The biasing force may be provided by adjusting drive signals of the motor stator. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more magnets (e.g., permanent/stator magnets) may be provided to bias the rotor in the upstream and/or downstream direction (e.g., toward a bearing (chamfer, step, conical), or the like).

The invention generally relates to improved medical blood pump devices, systems, and methods. For example, blood pumps may be provided that include a housing defining a blood flow path between an inlet and an outlet. A rotor may be positioned in the blood flow path. A motor stator may be driven to rotate the rotor to provide the blood flow through the pump. Axial and/or tilt stabilization components may be provided to increase an axial and/or tilt stabilization of the rotor within the blood flow path. In some embodiments, biasing forces are provided that urge the rotor toward a bearing component. The biasing force may be provided by adjusting drive signals of the motor stator. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more magnets (e.g., permanent/stator magnets) may be provided to bias the rotor in the upstream and/or downstream direction (e.g., toward a bearing (chamfer, step, conical), or the like).

Intravascular blood pumps systems and methods of use. The blood pump system includes a catheter portion having a distal blood pump with one or more distal collapsible impellers. The system can include a clean purge fluid pathway to carry clean fluid distally to the blood pump and a purge fluid return pathway to carry return fluid proximally into an external motor and out a proximal end of the motor, and optionally to a waste reservoir.

Disclosed is a blood pump device. The blood pump device includes: a housing having an overflow passage, and an inlet and an outlet respectively connected to the overflow passage; a rotor assembly rotatably disposed in the overflow passage; a coil disposed in a side wall of the housing; a first permanent magnet portion disposed inside the rotor assembly; a second permanent magnet portion disposed in the side wall of the housing, the first permanent magnet portion and the second permanent magnet portion forming a radial permanent magnet bearing; a piece of electric motor magnetic steel disposed inside a rotor of the rotor assembly; and a magnetic protection portion disposed at a periphery of the coil, wherein the magnetic protection portion and the electric motor magnetic steel act together to provide an axial pre-tightening force for the rotor assembly.

Disclosed is a blood pump device. The blood pump device includes: a housing having an overflow passage, and an inlet and an outlet respectively connected to the overflow passage; a rotor assembly rotatably disposed in the overflow passage; a coil disposed in a side wall of the housing; a first permanent magnet portion disposed inside the rotor assembly; a second permanent magnet portion disposed in the side wall of the housing, the first permanent magnet portion and the second permanent magnet portion forming a radial permanent magnet bearing; a piece of electric motor magnetic steel disposed inside a rotor of the rotor assembly; and a magnetic protection portion disposed at a periphery of the coil, wherein the magnetic protection portion and the electric motor magnetic steel act together to provide an axial pre-tightening force for the rotor assembly.

The invention generally relates to improved medical blood pump devices, systems, and methods. For example, blood pumps may be provided that include a housing defining a blood flow path between an inlet and an outlet. A rotor may be positioned in the blood flow path. A motor stator may be driven to rotate the rotor to provide the blood flow through the pump. Axial and/or tilt stabilization components may be provided to increase an axial and/or tilt stabilization of the rotor within the blood flow path. In some embodiments, biasing forces are provided that urge the rotor toward a bearing component. The biasing force may be provided by adjusting drive signals of the motor stator. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more magnets (e.g., permanent/stator magnets) may be provided to bias the rotor in the upstream and/or downstream direction (e.g., toward a bearing (chamfer, step, conical), or the like).