Impeller for catheter pump

• US 8,721,517 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thoratec LLC
• Original Assignee: Thoratec LLC
• Inventors: Zeng, Zijing, Yuen, Phyllis, Butler, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N
• Application Number:
  US13/802,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20130303830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 600/16
• US Class Current: 600/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• 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 60/148 in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/174 discharging the blood to the ventricle or arterial system via a cannula internal to the ventricle or arterial system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/216 including a rotating member acting on the blood, e.g. impeller
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/411 generated by an electromotor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/414 transmitted by a rotating cable, e.g. for blood pumps mounted on a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/508 Electronic control means, e.g. for feedback regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/546 of blood flow, e.g. by adapting rotor speed
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/806 Vanes or blades
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/808 specially adapted for deformable impellers, e.g. expandable impellers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/81 Pump housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/857 Implantable blood tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/0421 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/183 Semi axial flow rotors

Abstract

An impeller for a pump is disclosed herein. The impeller can include a hub having a fixed end and a free end. The impeller can also have a plurality of blades supported by the hub. Each blade can have a fixed end coupled to the hub and a free end. The impeller can have a stored configuration and a deployed configuration, the blades in the deployed configuration extending away from the hub, and the blades in the stored configuration being compressed against the hub.

Claims

1. A percutaneous heart pump system, the system comprising:

an impeller disposed at a distal portion of the system, the impeller sized and shaped to be inserted through a vascular system of a patient,

wherein the impeller is configured to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate of at least about 3.5 liters per minute when the impeller is rotated at a speed less than about 21,000 revolutions per minute.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the impeller is configured to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate of at least about 4.25 liters per minute when the impeller is rotated at a speed less than about 21,000 revolutions per minute.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the impeller is configured to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate of at least about 4.25 liters per minute when the impeller is rotated at a speed in a range of about 18,500 revolutions per minute to about 21,000 revolutions per minute.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the impeller is configured to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate in a range of about 4.25 liters per minute to about 5.5 liters per minute when the impeller is rotated at a speed in a range of about 18,500 revolutions per minute to about 21,000 revolutions per minute.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the impeller is configured to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate of at least about 3.5 liters per minute when a head pressure in the vascular system is at least about 60 mmHg and when the impeller is rotated at a speed less than about 21,000 revolutions per minute.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the impeller is configured to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate of at least about 3.5 liters per minute when a head pressure in the vascular system is about 62 mmHg and when the impeller is rotated at a speed less than about 21,000 revolutions per minute.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a drive shaft operably coupled to the impeller and configured to rotationally drive the impeller.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein an insertion diameter of the distal portion of the system has a catheter size of less than about 13 FR.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the impeller comprises a single blade row having one or more blades.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the impeller is an expandable impeller configured to expand from a stored configuration to an expanded configuration.

11. A method of pumping blood through the vascular system of a patient, the method comprising:

inserting an impeller through a portion of the vascular system of the patient to a heart chamber; and

rotating the impeller at a speed less than about 21,000 revolutions per minute to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate of at least about 3.5 liters per minute.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising rotating the impeller at a speed less than about 21,000 revolutions per minute to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate of at least about 4.25 liters per minute.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising rotating the impeller at a speed in a range of about 18,500 revolutions per minute to about 21,000 revolutions per minute to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate of at least about 4.25 liters per minute.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising rotating the impeller at a speed in a range of about 18,500 revolutions per minute to about 21,000 revolutions per minute to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate in a range of about 4.25 liters per minute to about 5.5 liters per minute.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein, when rotating the impeller, a head pressure in the vascular system is at least about 60 mmHg.

16. An impeller configured for us in a catheter pump, the impeller comprising:

a hub having a distal portion, a proximal portion, and a diameter; and

a blade having a fixed end at the hub and a free end, the blade having a height defined by a maximum distance between the hub and the free end,

wherein a value relating to a ratio of the blade height to the hub diameter is in a range of about 0.7 to about 1.45.

17. The impeller of claim 16, wherein the value relating to the ratio of the blade height to the hub diameter is in a range of about 0.7 to about 1.1.

18. The impeller of claim 17, wherein the value relating to the ratio of the blade height to the hub diameter is in a range of about 0.75 to about 1.

19. The impeller of claim 16, wherein the diameter of the hub is defined by a first diameter near the distal portion of the hub or a second diameter near the proximal portion of the hub.

20. The impeller of claim 16, wherein the diameter of the hub is defined by an average of a first diameter near the distal portion of the hub and a second diameter near the proximal portion of the hub.

21. The impeller of claim 20, wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.

22. The impeller of claim 16, wherein the impeller has a stored configuration and a deployed configuration, the value relating the ratio of the blade height to the hub diameter based on the deployed configuration.

23. The impeller of claim 22, wherein the impeller is configured to self-deploy from the stored configuration to the deployed configuration.

24. The impeller of claim 22, wherein the blade has a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein a ramped surface is formed at the trailing edge of the blade, the ramped surface configured to bear against a sheath to urge the impeller into the stored configuration.

25. The impeller of claim 22, wherein the impeller has a diameter in the stored configuration corresponding to a catheter size between about 8 FR and about 21 FR, and a diameter in the deployed configuration corresponding to a catheter size above about 12 FR.

26. The impeller of claim 25, wherein the impeller has a diameter in the stored configuration corresponding to a catheter size between about 12 FR and about 21 FR, and a diameter in the deployed configuration corresponding to a catheter size above about 21 FR.

27. A percutaneous heart pump system, the system comprising:

an impeller disposed at a distal portion of the system, the impeller sized and shaped to be inserted into a vascular system of a patient through a percutaneous access site having a size less than about 21 FR,

wherein the impeller is configured to pump blood in the vascular system at a flow rate of at least about 3.5 liters per minute.

28. A percutaneous heart pump system, the system comprising:

an impeller comprising one or more blades in a single row, the impeller disposed at a distal portion of the system, the impeller sized and shaped to be inserted through a vascular system of a patient,

wherein the impeller is configured to pump blood through at least a portion of the vascular system at a flow rate of at least about 2.0 liters per minute when the impeller is rotated at a speed less than about 21,000 revolutions per minute.

29. The percutaneous heart pump system of claim 28, wherein the blades are expandable.