An intravascular blood pump (1) comprises a catheter (5), a rotor (10), a housing (11) in which the rotor (10) is housed and a flexible drive shaft (12) extending through the catheter (5) and connected to the rotor. The drive shaft (12) comprises at least one outer layer (28) and at least one inner layer (29). The drive shaft (12) is rotatably supported in a proximal bearing (13) located proximally of the rotor (10). The outer layer (28) of the drive shaft (12) is absent or thinned at a location where the drive shaft (12) is supported in the proximal bearing (13).

An intravascular blood pump comprises a catheter, a rotor, a housing in which the rotor is housed and a flexible drive shaft extending through the catheter and rotatably supported in a proximal bearing located proximally of the rotor. The proximal bearing comprises a bearing sleeve and an outer bearing ring. The bearing sleeve comprises a proximal portion located proximally of the outer bearing ring, the proximal portion of the bearing sleeve forming an axial bearing with a proximal surface of the outer bearing ring. The bearing sleeve further comprises a distal portion extending from the proximal portion of the bearing sleeve distally into the outer bearing ring, wherein the distal portion of the bearing sleeve forms a radial bearing with the outer bearing ring.

A bearing assembly is configured to retain a distal end of an impeller of a blood pump, where the impeller includes a drive shaft. The bearing assembly includes a pivot member coupled to a distal end of the drive shaft; a distal bearing cup having a proximally-facing surface configured to engage at least a portion of a distal section of the pivot member; and a sleeve bearing disposed around at least a portion of a proximal section of the pivot member.

The invention relates to a fluid pump device, in particular for the medical application, with a compressible pump housing and rotor, as well as with an actuation means which runs in the sleeve and on whose end the fluid pump is arranged. In order to utilize all possibilities of a space-saving arrangement of the respective pump housing of the rotor, which is compressible per se, and as the case may be, a bearing arrangement, the mentioned elements are displaceable to one another in the axial direction compared to an operation position. In particular these elements may be end-configured by way of an axial movement of the drive shaft after the assembly.

The invention relates to a fluid pump device, in particular for the medical application, with a compressible pump housing and rotor, as well as with an actuation means which runs in the sleeve and on whose end the fluid pump is arranged. In order to utilize all possibilities of a space-saving arrangement of the respective pump housing of the rotor, which is compressible per se, and as the case may be, a bearing arrangement, the mentioned elements are displaceable to one another in the axial direction compared to an operation position. In particular these elements may be end-configured by way of an axial movement of the drive shaft after the assembly.

A partially deformable impeller has at least two blades, wherein a periphery of each blade is deformable, the periphery being an outermost 5 to 20 percent of a width of the blade. In some embodiments, a catheter blood pump incorporates the partially deformable impeller.

A heart pump assembly includes an elongate catheter with a proximal portion and a distal portion, a rotor at the distal portion of the elongate catheter, a driveshaft, and a bearing. The rotor can include an impeller blade shaped to induce fluid flow in a first axial direction. The drive shaft may be coupled to or integrally formed with a proximal end of the rotor and can include a pump element formed in a surface of the drive shaft. The bearing can include a bore into which the drive shaft extends. The pump element is shaped so as to induce fluid flow through the bore in a second axial direction which can be the same or opposite to the first axial direction.

A heart pump assembly includes an elongate catheter with a proximal portion and a distal portion, a rotor at the distal portion of the elongate catheter, a driveshaft, and a bearing. The rotor can include an impeller blade shaped to induce fluid flow in a first axial direction. The drive shaft may be coupled to or integrally formed with a proximal end of the rotor and can include a pump element formed in a surface of the drive shaft. The bearing can include a bore into which the drive shaft extends. The pump element is shaped so as to induce fluid flow through the bore in a second axial direction which can be the same or opposite to the first axial direction.

The invention relates to a fluid pump comprising at least one impeller blade (1, 1′, 1″) which is rotatable about an axis of rotation (3) and conveys a fluid in operation and comprising a support device (4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 12′, 13, 13′, 14, 14′, 15, 17) which supports the at least one impeller blade (1, 1′, 1″) in at least one support region, wherein the support device is changeable between a first state in which the rotor is radially compressed and a second state in which the rotor is radially expanded; and wherein at least one impeller blade extends at least partly radially inwardly with respect to the axis of rotation (3) from the support region/support regions in the radially expanded state of the rotor.

A heart pump assembly includes an elongate catheter with a proximal portion and a distal portion, a rotor at the distal portion of the elongate catheter, a driveshaft, and a bearing. The rotor can include an impeller blade shaped to induce fluid flow in a first axial direction. The drive shaft may be coupled to or integrally formed with a proximal end of the rotor and can include a pump element formed in a surface of the drive shaft. The bearing can include a bore into which the drive shaft extends. The pump element is shaped so as to induce fluid flow through the bore in a second axial direction which can be the same or opposite to the first axial direction.