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.

A blood pump includes an impeller; a drive shaft coupled to the impeller and configured to rotate with the impeller; a motor configured to drive the impeller; and a bearing assembly disposed adjacent the motor and configured to receive an end of the drive shaft. The bearing assembly includes a bearing, where the end of the drive shaft is at least partially rounded, and the where the bearing includes a concave depression defined in a first side of the bearing, where the depression is configured to receive the end of the drive shaft. The bearing assembly may include a lubricant chamber configured to hold a lubricant.

An axial flux motor includes a housing; a drive shaft disposed within the housing; at least one rotor; and at least one stator. The at least one rotor includes a diametrically-magnetized single pole pair magnetic ring having a rotor aperture defined through the center of the magnetic ring, where the drive shaft extends through the rotor aperture and where the at least one rotor is fixed to the drive shaft. The at least one stator includes a number of conductive windings and a stator aperture, where the drive shaft extends through the stator aperture and where the drive shaft is rotatable within the aperture. The at least one stator is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes the at least one rotor to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft.

A blood pump includes an impeller; a drive shaft coupled to the impeller and configured to rotate with the impeller; a motor configured to drive the impeller; and a bearing assembly disposed adjacent the motor and configured to receive an end of the drive shaft. The bearing assembly includes a bearing, where the end of the drive shaft is at least partially rounded, and the where the bearing includes a concave depression defined in a first side of the bearing, where the depression is configured to receive the end of the drive shaft. The bearing assembly may include a lubricant chamber configured to hold a lubricant.

A catheter pump system includes a shaft assembly, an impeller coupled to a distal portion of the shaft assembly, and a motor assembly coupled to a proximal portion of the shaft assembly. The motor assembly is configured to drive the impeller via the shaft assembly. The motor assembly includes a rotor, a stator disposed radially outward of the rotor, and a rotor chamber disposed radially between the stator and the rotor. The rotor chamber at least partially encloses the rotor. The rotor chamber is at least partially filled with a lubricant to reduce a friction of the rotor during rotation thereof.

A magnetically levitated motor includes a stator, a rotor configured to rotate relative to the stator, and a passive radial magnetic bearing configured to support the rotor relative to the stator in a radial direction. An active longitudinal magnetic bearing is configured to selectively position the rotor relative to the stator in an axial direction.

An axial flux motor includes a housing; a drive shaft disposed within the housing; at least one rotor; and at least one stator. The at least one rotor includes a diametrically-magnetized single pole pair magnetic ring having a rotor aperture defined through the center of the magnetic ring, where the drive shaft extends through the rotor aperture and where the at least one rotor is fixed to the drive shaft. The at least one stator includes a number of conductive windings and a stator aperture, where the drive shaft extends through the stator aperture and where the drive shaft is rotatable within the aperture. The at least one stator is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes the at least one rotor to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft.

A blood pump includes an impeller; a drive shaft coupled to the impeller and configured to rotate with the impeller; a motor configured to drive the impeller; and a bearing assembly disposed adjacent the motor and configured to receive an end of the drive shaft. The bearing assembly includes a bearing, where the end of the drive shaft is at least partially rounded, and the where the bearing includes a concave depression defined in a first side of the bearing, where the depression is configured to receive the end of the drive shaft. The bearing assembly may include a lubricant chamber configured to hold a lubricant.