IMPELLER HOUSING FOR AN IMPLANTABLE, VASCULAR SUPPORT SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to an impeller housing (1) for an implantable, vascular support system (2), at least comprising: an impeller housing body (3) having a first longitudinal portion (4) and a second longitudinal portion (5); at least one holder (8), which is disposed in the first longitudinal portion (4), wherein the holder (8) is configured such that it can hold a bearing (6) for rotatably mounting an impeller (9) in the center of a cross-section of the impeller housing body (3) through which a fluid can flow, at least one opening (7) through which liquid can flow and which is disposed in the second longitudinal portion (5) and in a lateral surface of the impeller housing body (3).

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A cardiac support system, comprising: an impeller housing comprising: an impeller housing body comprising a first longitudinal portion and a second longitudinal portion, wherein the first longitudinal portion and the second longitudinal portion are thermally joined to one another; at least one holder disposed in the first longitudinal portion, the at least one holder being configured to hold a bearing configured to rotatably mount an impeller in a center of a cross-section of the impeller housing body, wherein the cross-section of the impeller housing body is configured to receive blood flow therethrough; and at least one opening disposed in a lateral surface of the second longitudinal portion, the at least one opening configured to receive blood flow.

12. The cardiac support system according to claim 11, wherein the impeller housing body comprises multiple pieces.

13. The cardiac support system according to claim 11, wherein the second longitudinal portion is positioned proximal to the first longitudinal portion, where the at least one holder extends proximally beyond a proximal end of the first longitudinal portion.

14. The cardiac support system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one holder and the first longitudinal portion of the impeller housing body are connected to one another by a form-locking connection.

15. The cardiac support system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one holder and the first longitudinal portion of the impeller housing body are connected to one another by a material-locking or force-locking connection.

16. The cardiac support system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one holder and the first longitudinal portion of the impeller housing body are formed as a single piece.

17. A cardiac support system, comprising: an impeller housing comprising: an impeller housing body comprising a first longitudinal portion and a second longitudinal portion; at least one holder disposed in the first longitudinal portion, the holder being configured to hold a bearing configured to rotatably mount an impeller in a center of a cross-section of the impeller housing body, wherein the cross-section of the impeller housing body is configured to receive blood flow threrethrough, wherein the holder and the first longitudinal portion of the impeller housing body are connected to one another by a form-locking connection or by a material-locking or force-locking connection; and at least one opening disposed in a lateral surface of the second longitudinal portion, the at least one opening configured to receive blood flow.

18. The cardiac support system according to claim 17, wherein the impeller housing body is a single piece.

19. The cardiac support system according to claim 17, wherein the impeller housing body comprises multiple pieces.

20. The cardiac support system according to claim 17, wherein the second longitudinal portion is positioned proximal to the first longitudinal portion, where the at least one holder extends proximally beyond a proximal end of the first longitudinal portion.

21. The cardiac support system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one holder and the first longitudinal portion of the impeller housing body are connected to one another by the form-locking connection.

22. The cardiac support system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one holder and the first longitudinal portion of the impeller housing body are connected to one another by the material-locking or force-locking connection.

23. The cardiac support system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one holder and the first longitudinal portion of the impeller housing body are formed as a single piece.

24. A method for producing an impeller housing of a cardiac support system, comprising: disposing a holder in a first longitudinal portion of an impeller housing body of the impeller housing, the impeller housing body comprising a second longitudinal portion, wherein the first longitudinal portion and the second longitudinal portion are thermally joined to one another, wherein the holder is configured to hold a bearing configured to rotatably mount an impeller in a center of a cross-section of the impeller housing body configured to receive blood flow, wherein a lateral surface of the second longitudinal body comprises at least one opening configured to receive blood flow.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising forming the impeller housing body as multiple pieces.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the second longitudinal portion is positioned proximal to the first longitudinal portion, where the holder extends proximally beyond a proximal end of the first longitudinal portion.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the holder and the first longitudinal portion of the impeller housing body are connected to one another by a form-locking connection.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein the holder and the first longitudinal portion of the impeller housing body are connected to one another by a material-locking or force-locking connection.

Description

[0041] The solution presented here as well as its technical environment are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. It is important to note that the invention is not intended to be limited by the design examples shown. In particular, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the facts explained in the figures and to combine them with other components and/or insights from other figures and/or the present description. The figures show schematically:

[0042] FIG. 1: a here proposed impeller housing with an impeller,

[0043] FIG. 2: a sectional view of a here proposed impeller housing,

[0044] FIG. 3: a first design variant of a here proposed impeller housing,

[0045] FIG. 4a: a second design variant of a here proposed impeller housing in a perspective view,

[0046] FIG. 4b: the design variant of FIG. 4a in a sectional view,

[0047] FIG. 5: a third design variant of a here proposed impeller housing,

[0048] FIG. 6: a further example according to the third design variant of a here proposed impeller housing,

[0049] FIG. 7: a fourth design variant of a here proposed impeller housing,

[0050] FIG. 8: a fifth design variant of a here proposed impeller housing,

[0051] FIG. 9: a support system, implanted in a heart, and

[0052] FIG. 10: a sequence of a here presented method.

[0053] FIG. 1 schematically shows a here proposed impeller housing 1 with an impeller 9 which is rotatable about an axis of rotation 2. The impeller housing 1 extends along the axis of rotation 2 in a longitudinal direction. It is suitable for an implantable vascular support system (not shown here, see FIG. 9). The impeller housing 1 can generally also be used in small axial flow pumps (with impeller), in particular with contactless torque transmission.

[0054] The impeller housing 1 comprises an impeller housing body 3, which extends in longitudinal direction and has a first longitudinal portion 4 and a second longitudinal portion 5 which extends in longitudinal direction. The impeller housing 1 further comprises at least one holder 8, which is disposed in the first longitudinal portion 4, wherein the holder 8 is configured such that it can hold a bearing 6 for rotatably mounting the impeller 9 in the center of a cross-section of the impeller housing body 3 through which a fluid can flow. The impeller housing 1 also comprises at least one opening 7 through which a fluid can flow and which is disposed in the second longitudinal portion 5 and in a lateral surface of the impeller housing body 3.

[0055] FIG. 2 schematically shows a sectional view of a here proposed impeller housing 1. The reference signs are used consistently, so that reference can be made in full to the statements regarding the preceding figure. According to the illustration of FIG. 2, the impeller housing body 3 is formed in one piece.

[0056] FIG. 3 schematically shows a first design variant of a here proposed impeller housing 1. The reference signs are used consistently, so that reference can be made in full to the statements regarding the preceding figures.

[0057] According to the illustration of FIG. 3, the impeller housing body 3 is formed in multiple parts. For this purpose, a weld seam 14 (which extends along the circumference) is formed as an example between the first longitudinal portion 4 and the second longitudinal portion 5. The weld seam 14 is also an example of how and that the first longitudinal portion 4 and the second longitudinal portion 5 can be thermally joined to one another.

[0058] In FIG. 3, the holder 8 and the first longitudinal portion 4 of the impeller housing body 3 are formed in one piece as an example. As an example, the holder 8 comprises three struts which extend radially to the axis of rotation 2 of the impeller shown in FIG. 1 and support a bearing seat of the holder 8 formed here in the manner of a pipe section.

[0059] The second longitudinal portion 5 of the impeller housing body 3 consists here of a thin-walled tube as an example, in which openings 7 are provided in the form of recesses for flow discharge, preferably via laser cutting. As an example, the first longitudinal portion 4 of the impeller housing body 3 (which can also be characterized as a bearing component) here describes a ring having the inner and the outer diameter of the thin-walled tube. For the example of a design of the holder 8, a spider bearing having at least one connecting strut is integrated into the ring. In order to enable a fixed connection, the components (ring, tube) are connected in a material-locking manner by means of a (radial) weld seam 14.

[0060] FIG. 4a schematically shows a second design variant of a here proposed impeller housing 1 in a perspective view. The reference signs are used consistently, so that reference can be made in full to the statements regarding the preceding figures.

[0061] The second design variant differs from the first design variant in that the holder 8 extends beyond the first longitudinal portion 4 in the direction of the second longitudinal portion 5.

[0062] FIG. 4b schematically shows the design variant of FIG. 4a in a sectional view. The reference signs are used consistently, so that reference can be made in full to the statements regarding the preceding figures.

[0063] According to the sectional view of FIG. 4b, it is easier to see that and how the holder 8 extends beyond the first longitudinal portion 4 in the direction of the second longitudinal portion 5. The holder 8 here thus also produces a centering 15 which can facilitate the production of the weld seam 14.

[0064] The second longitudinal portion 5 of the impeller housing body 3 consists here of a thin-walled tube as an example, in which openings 7 are provided in the form of recesses for flow discharge. As an example, the first longitudinal portion 4 of the impeller housing body 3 (which can also be characterized as a bearing component) here describes a ring having the inner and the outer diameter of the thin-walled tube. For the example of a design of the holder 8, a spider bearing having at least two connecting struts is integrated into the ring. The connecting struts are designed such that they project proximally or upstream over the ring and describe the dimensions of the inner diameter of the tube. Here too, the ring and the tube are welded with a (radial) seam. During joining, the projecting connecting struts serve as a form-locking centering. This ensures that the bearing element (ring with integrated spider bearing) is positioned concentrically to the pipe diameter.

[0065] FIG. 5 schematically shows a third design variant of a here proposed impeller housing 1. The reference signs are used consistently, so that reference can be made in full to the statements regarding the preceding figures.

[0066] According to the illustration of FIG. 5, the impeller housing body 3 is formed in one piece. The holder 8 and the first longitudinal portion 4 of the impeller housing body 3 are furthermore connected to one another in a material-locking manner in the third design variant. For this purpose, as an example, (radially) outward facing ends of the holder 8 are inserted into longitudinal slots in the first longitudinal portion 4 of the impeller housing body 3. These ends of the holder are then thermally joined to the impeller housing body 3 there by means of a (longitudinal) weld seam 14.

[0067] The impeller housing body 3 consists here of a thin-walled tube as an example, in which openings 7 are provided in the second longitudinal portion 5 in the form of recesses for flow discharge, preferably via laser cutting. The tube is furthermore provided on the downstream side or in the first longitudinal portion 4 with three slots parallel to the longitudinal axis, for example. These are preferably disposed in a rotationally symmetrical manner. As an example, the holder 8 (which can also be described here as a bearing component) consists here of likewise three connecting struts, which are disposed in a rotationally symmetrical manner, are connected to a (central) bearing element and have the same dimensions as the slots on the impeller housing body 3. The described components can now be joined to one another (in a form-locking manner) by means of the key-and-lock principle. As an example, the thus created assembly is then connected here in longitudinal direction in a material-locking manner by means of weld seams 14. The number of joints can be varied (see FIG. 6, which shows an assembly according to the third design variant having two disposed connecting struts). A combination with the centering function of FIG. 4 is also advantageously possible.

[0068] FIG. 6 schematically shows a further example according to the third design variant of a here proposed impeller housing 1. The reference signs are used consistently, so that reference can be made in full to the statements regarding the preceding figures.

[0069] The example of FIG. 6 differs from that of FIG. 5 in that the holder 8 in FIG. 6 has only two struts, whereas the holder in FIG. 5 has three struts.

[0070] FIG. 7 schematically shows a fourth design variant of a here proposed impeller housing 1. The reference signs are used consistently, so that reference can be made in full to the statements regarding the preceding figures.

[0071] According to the illustration of FIG. 7, the impeller housing body 3 is formed in one piece. The holder 8 and the first longitudinal portion 4 of the impeller housing body 3 are furthermore connected to one another in a form-locking manner in the fourth design variant. For this purpose, as an example, (radially) outward facing ends of the holder 8 are clipped into recesses in the first longitudinal portion 4 of the impeller housing body 3. The holder 8 and the first longitudinal portion 4 of the impeller housing body 3 are thus connected here (in a form-locking manner) by means of a clip connection.

[0072] The impeller housing body 3 consists here of a thin-walled tube as an example, in which openings 7 are provided in the second longitudinal portion 5 in the form of recesses for flow discharge, preferably via laser cutting. The tube is furthermore provided on the downstream side or in the first longitudinal portion 4 with two further recesses, which are disposed opposite to one another and have a defined, e.g. square, shape. These are closed here in both circumferential and axial direction. As an example, the holder 8 (which can also be described here as a bearing component) consists here of two opposite connecting struts which are connected to a (central) bearing element. The defined, e.g. square, shape at the radial ends of the connecting struts is configured in the region of the pipe wall. In this context, the holder 8 is preferably constructed such that elastic bending in at least one direction is possible. Materials having a low modulus of elasticity or shape memory alloys, e.g. nitinol, are suitable for this purpose.

[0073] The connection between the impeller housing body 3 and the holder 8 takes place here in a form-locking manner. For this purpose, the holder 8 is elastically deformed such that the defined configuration can be clipped into the recess. Since the holder 8 (bearing component) is fixed in a form-locking manner in the impeller housing body 3 after assembly, no further joining process, e.g. welding process, is necessary.

[0074] FIG. 8 schematically shows a fifth design variant of a here proposed impeller housing 1. The reference signs are used consistently, so that reference can be made in full to the statements regarding the preceding figures.

[0075] According to the illustration of FIG. 8, the impeller housing body 3 is formed in one piece. As an example, the holder 8 and the first longitudinal portion 4 of the impeller housing body 3 here are formed in one piece as well. The impeller housing body 3 and the holder 8 are thus formed in one piece here.

[0076] The impeller housing body 3 including the holder 8 with connecting struts and bearing element is produced as one component, for example, by milling the “assembly” from the whole. Other production options include injection molding or additive manufacturing technologies.

[0077] FIG. 9 schematically shows a support system 2 implanted in a heart 8. The reference signs are used consistently, so that reference can be made in full to the statements regarding the preceding figures.

[0078] FIG. 9 shows a ventricular support system 2, i.e. the support system 2, projecting into a (here left) ventricle 11 of the heart 10. The support system 2 is furthermore disposed in aortic valve position, i.e. the support system 2 intersects a cross-section in which the aortic valves 13 are located. The support system 2 supports the heart 10 by conveying or pumping blood from the ventricle 11 into the aorta 12. The blood flow is indicated in FIG. 9 with arrows.

[0079] The support system 2 comprises an impeller housing 1 which surrounds a (here not depicted) impeller. In the example of an alignment of the support system 2 shown in FIG. 9, the impeller housing 1 is located in the aorta 12.

[0080] FIG. 10 schematically shows a sequence of a here presented method. The method is used to produce an impeller housing for an implantable vascular support system. The shown sequence of the method steps a), b), c) and d) with blocks 110, 120, 130 and 140 is only an example and can be the result of a regular operating sequence. Steps a) to d) can furthermore also be carried out at least partially in parallel or even simultaneously, for example if the impeller housing and the at least one holder are produced in one piece. In Block 110, an impeller housing body having a first longitudinal portion and a second longitudinal portion is provided. In Block 120, at least one opening through which a fluid can flow is provided in a lateral surface of the second longitudinal portion of the impeller housing body. In Block 130, at least one holder is provided, which is configured such that it can hold a bearing in the center of a cross-section of the impeller housing body through which the fluid can flow. In Block 140, the holder is disposed in the first longitudinal portion.

[0081] In other words, the solution presented here in particular describes a preferably multipart assembled impeller housing and/or in particular enables one or more of the following advantages: [0082] Integration and geometrically concentric alignment of a bearing into the impeller housing, whereby the impeller housing (second longitudinal portion) can be joined to a bearing component (first longitudinal portion) to form an (overall) impeller housing, as a result of which a type of housing assembly can be created. [0083] Minimum installation space for the housing assembly with a maximum available flow cross-section, ideally without reducing the inner diameter of the housing assembly, as a result of which an improvement of the efficiency is achieved. [0084] Due to the selected joining techniques (form-locking connection, frictional connection, material connection) the wall thickness can be kept (constantly) thin. The active flow cross-section can thus be maximized. [0085] The basic functions of an impeller housing (guiding flow, establishing a connection and absorbing forces and moments) are ensured. [0086] The multipart impeller housing with an integrated bearing enables the producibility of the components and the final assembly of the pump.