Expandable impeller pump

• US 20060062672A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TC1 LLC (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated), Penn State Research Foundation, Thoratec LLC
• Original Assignee: Datascope Corporation (Getinge AB)
• Inventors: Mallison, Thomas M., McBride, Mark W., Campbell, Robert L., Dillon, Gregory, Boger, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,393,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/142
• 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 60/205 Non-positive displacement blood pumps
• 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 60/808 specially adapted for deformable impellers, e.g. expandable impellers
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2231/42 Elastomeric materials
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 1/26 Blades
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 11/08 of rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/0614 using shape memory elements
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/02 Multi-stage pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/026 especially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/181 Axial flow rotors F04D29/185 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/247 elastic or self-adjusting
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/382 Flexible blades
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/526 Details of the casing section radially opposing blade tips ducts F04D29/545
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/528 especially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 3/00 Axial-flow pumps priming or boosting F04D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 3/02 of screw type
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2210/11 liquid, i.e. incompressible
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/305 : related to the pressure side of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/306 : related to the suction side of a rotor blade
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/51 : Inlet
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/52 : Outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/43 : Synthetic polymers, e.g. plastics; Rubber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 415/90 : Rotary blood pump
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49229 : Prime mover or fluid pump making

Abstract

An impeller according to an example of the present invention comprises a hub, and at least one blade supported by the hub. The impeller has a deployed configuration in which the blade extends away from the hub, and a stored configuration in which the impeller is radially compressed, for example by folding the blade towards the hub. The impeller may comprise a plurality of blades, arranged in blade rows, to facilitate radial compression of the blades. The outer edge of a blade may have a winglet, and the base of the blade may have an associated indentation to facilitate folding of the blade.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inducing motion of a fluid relative to the apparatus, the apparatus having an impeller, the impeller comprising:

a hub; and

a blade supported by the hub, the blade having a proximal end attached to the hub and a distal end,

the impeller having a deployed configuration in which the blade extends away from the hub,

the impeller having a stored configuration in which the impeller is radially compressed so as to move the distal end of the blade towards the hub.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the impeller comprising a plurality of blades, the blades being arranged in blade rows along the hub, each blade row including one or more blades.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the blade rows each comprise two blades.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the impeller includes two blade rows, each blade row comprising two blades.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sleeve,

at least part of the impeller being located within the sleeve, the fluid flowing through the sleeve when the impeller rotates.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sleeve is expandable, the sleeve having an expanded configuration when the impeller is in the deployed configuration.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sleeve has a non-expandable portion, in which the impeller is located in the stored state, and an expandable portion in which the impeller is located in the deployed configuration.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blade has a winglet at the distal end of the blade.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the impeller comprises a unitary impeller body, the unitary impeller body including the hub and the blade.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blade comprises a polymer, the polymer having a first modulus for deformation of the deployed configuration under an operational load, and a second modulus for deforming the blade into the stored configuration, the first modulus being approximately ten times greater than the second modulus.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the polymer is a low flexural modulus polyurethane.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, the impeller further having an operational configuration,

the operational configuration being achieved by deformation of the blade upon rotation of the impeller in the deployed configuration,

the operational configuration of the impeller being numerically optimized.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flexible shaft having a first end and a second end,

the first end of the flexible shaft being mechanically coupled to the impeller,

the impeller being rotated by a torque applied to the second end of the flexible shaft.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the impeller self-deploys into the deployed configuration from the stored configuration,

self-deployment of the impeller being driven by stored strain energy of the impeller in the stored configuration.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an axial pump for a liquid.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the impeller has a unitary polymer body including the hub and the blade.

17. An apparatus for inducing motion of a fluid relative to the apparatus, the apparatus having an impeller, the impeller comprising:

a hub; and

a blade, the blade having a proximal end attached to the hub,

the impeller having an indentation therein, the indentation being adjacent to the proximal end of the blade,

the indentation being elongate and extending along at least a portion of the proximal end of the blade.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the blade is flexible,

the impeller having a deployed configuration in which the blade extends away from the hub,

the impeller having a stored configuration in which the blade is moved towards the hub,

the indentation facilitating movement of the distal end of the blade towards the hub, so as to achieve the stored configuration.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the indentation is a trench in the hub extending substantially parallel and adjacent to a portion of the proximal end of the blade.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the blade has a first face and a second face, the indentation being a first trench parallel and adjacent to the proximal end of the first face of the blade.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a second trench parallel and adjacent to the proximal end of the second face of the blade.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the blade has an airfoil shape, the indentation being a curved trench formed in the impeller parallel to the proximal end of the blade.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is an axial pump for a liquid.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus provides a motive force for a vehicle.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, the impeller comprising a plurality of blades supported by the hub, each blade having an associated indentation.

26. An apparatus for inducing motion of a fluid relative to the apparatus, the apparatus having an impeller, the impeller comprising:

a hub; and

a blade supported by the hub, the blade having a proximal end attached to the hub and a distal end, the blade having a first face and a second face, the blade being flexible;

the impeller having a deployed configuration in which the blade extends away from the hub in a radial direction,

the impeller having a stored configuration in which the impeller is radially compressed so as to move the distal end of the blade towards the hub,

the blade having a winglet, the winglet extending from the first face of the blade at the distal end of the blade.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the impeller rotates within a sleeve, the winglet forming a hydraulic bearing with an inside surface of the sleeve.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the impeller self-deploys into the deployed configuration from the stored configuration,

self-deployment of the impeller being driven by stored strain energy of the impeller in the stored configuration.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first face is the pressure face of the blade.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first face is the suction face of the blade.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the winglet further extends from the second face of the blade.