Fluid pump with a rotor

• US 10,495,101 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ECP Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: ECP Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Scheckel, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Tejani, Ankit D
• Application Number:
  US14/985,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20160106897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/13 by means of a catheter allowing explantation, e.g. catheter pumps temporarily introduced via the vascular system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/135 inside a blood vessel, e.g. using grafting
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/148 in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/216 including a rotating member acting on the blood, e.g. impeller
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/237 the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/414 transmitted by a rotating cable, e.g. for blood pumps mounted on a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/422 the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/808 specially adapted for deformable impellers, e.g. expandable impellers
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 1/14 Propellers pitch changing B63H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2001/122 Single or multiple threaded helicoidal screws, or the like, comprising foils extending over a substantial angle; Archimedean screws
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/026 especially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/18 Rotors specially for elastic fluids F04D29/26
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/247 elastic or self-adjusting
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/605 specially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/50 Building or constructing in particular ways
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/501 Elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/505 Shape memory behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/518 Ductility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49229 Prime mover or fluid pump making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49245 Vane type or other rotary, e.g., fan

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluid pump, in particular to a liquid pump having a rotor with at last one rotor blade for conveying the fluid, the rotor being variable with respect to its diameter between a first, compressed state and a second expanded state. In order to produce a simple compressibility and expandability of the rotor of the pump, it is provided according to the invention that at least one rotor blade is deformable between a first state which it assumes in the compressed state of the rotor and a second state which it assumes in the expanded state of the rotor by means of a fluid counterpressure during a rotation of the rotor during pump operation.

Claims

1. A percutaneous pump, comprising:

a rotor with a hub and a rotor blade for conveying fluid, the rotor having a compressed state, a first expanded state, and a second expanded state;

wherein the rotor is configured to increase in diameter between the compressed state and the first expanded state;

wherein the rotor is configured to increase in diameter between the first expanded state and the second expanded state while the rotor blade conveys fluid in a first rotational direction, said increase in diameter from the first expanded state due at least in part to fluid counterpressure acting against a leading side of the rotor blade in a second direction counter to the first rotational direction;

wherein the rotor blade is a compressible and expandable continuous helical rotor blade; and

wherein, in the second expanded state, the rotor blade forms a substantially straight line between a radially inner end of the rotor blade and a radially outer end of the rotor blade along a length of the continuous helical rotor blade.

2. The percutaneous pump of claim 1, wherein the percutaneous pump is located at a distal end of a drive shaft, and the percutaneous pump is driven by an external motor connected to a proximal end of the drive shaft.

3. The percutaneous pump of claim 1, wherein the rotor includes multiple rotor blades.

4. The percutaneous pump of claim 1, wherein the rotor is formed at least in part from stretch-resistant fibers that are unstretched in the compressed state and stretched in both the first expanded state and the second expanded state.

5. The percutaneous pump of claim 1, wherein the rotor has a trailing side opposite the leading side, and wherein the leading side is formed from a first material and the trailing side is formed from a second material, different from the first material.

6. The percutaneous blood pump of claim 5, wherein the first material has fibres embedded therein, wherein the fibres are more stretch-resistant than the first material.

15. The percutaneous pump of claim 6, wherein the rotor is formed at least in part from stretch-resistant fibers that are unstretched in the compressed state and stretched in both the first expanded state and the second expanded state.

21. The percutaneous pump of claim 1, wherein the rotor blade is directly connected to the hub.

22. The percutaneous pump of claim 1, wherein the rotor blade is connected to the hub at a connection point on a surface of the hub.

23. The percutaneous pump of claim 22, wherein the rotor blade is configured to pivot about the connection point on the surface of the hub.

24. The percutaneous pump of claim 23, wherein in the compressed state the rotor blade is configured to pivot about the connection point toward the hub.

7. A method for conveying fluid with a rotor, the method comprising:

rotating a rotor in a first rotational direction, wherein a diameter of a rotor blade of the rotor increases between a compressed state and a first expanded state; and

rotating the rotor in the first rotational direction such that fluid counterpressure acts against a leading side of the rotor blade in a second direction which is counter to the first rotational direction, to increase the diameter of the rotor blade of the rotor between a first expanded state and a second expanded state,

wherein the rotor blade is a compressible and expandable continuous helical rotor blade; and

wherein, in the second expanded state, the rotor blade forms a substantially straight line between a radially inner end of the rotor blade and a radially outer end of the rotor blade along a length of the continuous helical rotor blade.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

drawing a pump housing axially through a vessel, to introduce a pump head with the rotor into a heart.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

rotating the rotor in a second rotational direction which is counter to the first rotational direction, to decrease the diameter of the rotor.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

radially compressing the rotor to a state of lowest possible radial elongation to remove the rotor through a vessel.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

removing a pump head with the rotor from a heart.

25. The method of claim 7, wherein the rotor blade is connected to the hub at a connection point on a surface of the hub.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the rotor blade is configured to pivot about the connection point on the surface of the hub.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein in the compressed state the rotor blade is configured to pivot about the connection point toward the hub.

12. A percutaneous pump, comprising:

a rotor with a hub and a rotor blade for conveying fluid, the rotor having a compressed state, a first expanded state, and a second expanded state, wherein a blade root of the rotor blade is connected to the hub at a connection point on a surface of the hub;

wherein the rotor is configured to increase in diameter between the compressed state and the first expanded state;

wherein the rotor blade is a compressible and expandable rotor blade, and the blade root of the rotor blade forms a continuous helix on the hub; and

wherein the rotor is configured to increase in diameter between the first expanded state and the second expanded state while the rotor blade conveys the fluid in a first rotational direction, said increase in diameter from the first expanded state due at least in part to fluid counterpressure acting against a leading side of the rotor blade in a second direction counter to the first rotational direction.

13. The percutaneous pump of claim 12, wherein the percutaneous pump is located at a distal end of a drive shaft, and the percutaneous pump is driven by an external motor connected to a proximal end of the drive shaft.

14. The percutaneous pump of claim 13, wherein the rotor includes multiple rotor blades.

16. The percutaneous pump of claim 12, wherein the rotor has a trailing side opposite the leading side, and wherein the leading side is formed from a first material and the trailing side is formed from a second material, different from the first material.

17. The percutaneous pump of claim 16, wherein the first material is more ductile than the second material.

18. A method for conveying fluid with a rotor, comprising:

rotating a rotor in a first rotational direction, wherein a diameter of a rotor blade of the rotor increases between a compressed state and a first expanded state, wherein a blade root of the rotor blade is connected to a hub at a surface of the hub, and wherein the blade root of the rotor blade forms a continuous helix on the surface of the hub; and

rotating the rotor in the first rotational direction such that fluid counterpressure acts against a leading side of the rotor blade in a second direction which is counter to the first rotational direction to increase the diameter of the rotor blade of the rotor between a first expanded state and a second expanded state.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

drawing a pump housing axially through a vessel, to introduce a pump head with the rotor into a heart.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

rotating the rotor in a second rotational direction which is counter to the first rotational direction, to decrease the diameter of the rotor.