HEART ASSIST DEVICE

• US 20130245361A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Star BP Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VADovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Wampler, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,211,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/16
• 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 60/178 drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/232 Centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/419 the force acting on the blood contacting member being permanent magnetic, e.g. from a rotating magnetic coupling between driving and driven magnets
• 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 60/508 Electronic control means, e.g. for feedback regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/824 Hydrodynamic or fluid film bearings
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/829 having a purge fluid supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/831 using filtered blood as purge fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/88 Percutaneous cables

Abstract

A heart assist device comprising a rotary pump housing having a cylindrical bore, a pumping chamber and a motor stator including an electrically conductive coil located within the housing and surrounding a portion of the cylindrical bore. A rotor has a cylindrical shaft, at least one impeller appended to one end of the shaft, and a plurality of magnets located within the shaft. The rotor shaft is positioned within the housing bore with the magnets opposite the motor stator, and the impeller is positioned within the pumping chamber. The housing bore is closely fitted to the outer surface of the shaft forming a hydrodynamic journal bearing, with the pumping chamber and journal bearing connected by a leak path of blood flow between the pumping chamber and the journal bearing. A backiron of the motor stator attracts the rotor magnets to resist longitudinal displacement of the rotor within the housing during operation. The relative orientation of positions of the inflow, outflow, and leakage flow paths may be varied within the pump, such as to accommodate different intended methods for implantation and/or use.

Claims

1. A heart assist device, comprising:

a rotary pump housing having a cylindrical bore, a pumping chamber and a motor stator including an electrically conductive coil located within said housing and surrounding a portion of said cylindrical bore, and also comprising a rotor, said rotor having a cylindrical shaft with an outer surface and at least one impeller appended to one end of said shaft;

wherein said rotor comprises a plurality of magnets located within said shaft and opposite said motor stator;

wherein said bore is closely fitted to the outer surface of said shaft forming a hydrodynamic journal bearing;

wherein when said rotor is positioned and rotates within said bore, said at least one impeller is positioned and rotates within the pumping chamber; and

wherein said pumping chamber and said journal bearing are connected by a leak path to allow blood to pass from the pumping chamber into the journal bearing.

2-104. -104. (canceled)