Axial flow rotor with downstream bearing wash flow
First Claim
1. An impeller for a blood pump, comprising:
- a body having a bottom surface at a downstream end of the body and a central opening extending at least partially through the body from the bottom surface, the central opening centered about a rotational axis of the body, —
the rotational axis defining an axial direction,the body configured to rotate about an element projecting from a surface below the bottom surface into the opening to drive a primary blood flow along an exterior of the body to beyond a peripheral edge of the bottom surface, the body supported in the axial direction above a bearing surface interposed between the body and the projecting element, and the body configured to drive a secondary blood flow through the opening toward the bottom surface and then outwardly along the bottom surface to beyond the peripheral edge, wherein the bottom surface undulates in a direction of a circumference of the bottom surface between each of a plurality of troughs and each of a plurality of respective elevations, the troughs and elevations of the bottom surface configured to drive the secondary flow of the fluid towards the peripheral edge of the bottom surface, andwherein the body is configured for magnetic interaction between the body and an external magnetic field in a state of rotation of the body so as to produce a magnetic force which secures a position of the body in the axial direction despite the secondary downstream blood flow along the bottom surface to beyond the peripheral edge.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable blood pump includes an impeller rotatable about a rotational axis, having a body with a bottom surface at a downstream end and a central opening centered about the axis extending at least partially through the body from the bottom surface. A projecting element, e.g., a shaft, extends from below the bottom surface into or through the opening to support the impeller. The body can be configured to drive a primary downstream blood flow along an exterior of the body to beyond a peripheral edge of the bottom surface, and to provide a secondary downstream blood flow through the opening and along the bottom surface to beyond the peripheral edge, the secondary flow improving washing of a bearing surface.
60 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An impeller for a blood pump, comprising:
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a body having a bottom surface at a downstream end of the body and a central opening extending at least partially through the body from the bottom surface, the central opening centered about a rotational axis of the body, —
the rotational axis defining an axial direction,the body configured to rotate about an element projecting from a surface below the bottom surface into the opening to drive a primary blood flow along an exterior of the body to beyond a peripheral edge of the bottom surface, the body supported in the axial direction above a bearing surface interposed between the body and the projecting element, and the body configured to drive a secondary blood flow through the opening toward the bottom surface and then outwardly along the bottom surface to beyond the peripheral edge, wherein the bottom surface undulates in a direction of a circumference of the bottom surface between each of a plurality of troughs and each of a plurality of respective elevations, the troughs and elevations of the bottom surface configured to drive the secondary flow of the fluid towards the peripheral edge of the bottom surface, and wherein the body is configured for magnetic interaction between the body and an external magnetic field in a state of rotation of the body so as to produce a magnetic force which secures a position of the body in the axial direction despite the secondary downstream blood flow along the bottom surface to beyond the peripheral edge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An implantable blood pump, comprising:
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an impeller body having a bottom surface at a downstream end of the body and a central opening extending at least partially through the body from the bottom surface, the central opening centered about a rotational axis of the body, the rotational axis defining an axial direction, the body being configured to rotate about an element projecting from below the bottom surface into the opening to drive a primary downstream blood flow along an exterior of the body to beyond a peripheral edge of the bottom surface and axially downstream from the impeller, the body supported in the axial direction above a bearing surface interposed between the body and the projecting element, the body configured to drive a secondary downstream blood flow through the opening toward the bottom surface and then outwardly along the bottom surface to beyond the peripheral edge, wherein the bottom surface comprises a plurality of axially protruding ridges for driving the secondary downstream blood flow from the opening towards the peripheral edge, the ridges defining a plurality of fluid channels, the pump configured to rotate the body about the axis, wherein the body is configured for magnetic interaction between the body and an external magnetic field so as to produce a magnetic force which secures a position of the body in an axial direction parallel to the rotational axis despite the secondary downstream blood flow outwardly along the bottom surface to beyond the peripheral edge, and the pump is configured to drive the blood in a generally axial direction downstream from the impeller. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification