Heart assist device with expandable impeller pump

• US 9,717,833 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TC1 LLC (Abbott Laboratories), Penn State Research Foundation (Pennsylvania State University), Thoratec LLC
• Original Assignee: TC1 LLC (Abbott Laboratories), Penn State Research Foundation (Pennsylvania State University)
• Inventors: McBride, Mark W., Boger, David A., Campbell, Robert L., Dillon, Gregory P., Hambric, Stephen A., Kunz, Robert F., Leschinsky, Boris, Mallison, Thomas M., Runt, James P., Walsh, Justin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gedeon, Brian T
• Application Number:
  US15/176,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20160354525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0266 Shape memory materials
• 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 60/237 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 60/806 Vanes or blades
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/808 specially adapted for deformable impellers, e.g. expandable impellers
• 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 60/865 Devices for guiding or inserting pumps or pumping devices into the patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• 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 29/528 especially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/542 Bladed diffusers fixing blades to stators F01D9/042
• 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: F05B 2240/311 flexible or elastic
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/5001 Elasticity

Abstract

An impeller includes a hub and a blade supported by the hub. The impeller has a stored configuration in which the blade is compressed so that its distal end moves towards the hub, and a deployed configuration in which the blade extends away from the hub. The impeller may be part of a pump for pumping fluids, such as blood, and may include a cannula having a proximal portion with a fixed diameter, and a distal portion with an expandable diameter. The impeller may reside in the expandable portion of the cannula. The cannula may have a compressed diameter which allows it to be inserted percutaneously into a patient. Once at a desired location, the expandable portion of the cannula may be expanded and the impeller expanded to the deployed configuration. A flexible drive shaft may extend through the cannula for rotationally driving the impeller within the patient.

Claims

1. A catheter pump comprising:

a cannula having an inlet and an outlet;

an impeller disposed in the cannula, the impeller sized and shaped to be inserted into a heart of a patient; and

a stator disposed downstream of the impeller in the cannula between the impeller and the outlet, the stator comprising a stationary blade configured to reduce swirl velocity from discharge flow from the impeller,

wherein the stationary blade comprise an expanded state and wherein a proximal edge of the stationary blade is inclined distally in the expanded state.

2. The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the stator comprises an expandable and collapsible structure.

3. The catheter pump of claim 2, wherein the cannula is expandable and collapsible.

4. The catheter pump of claim 3, wherein the impeller is expandable and collapsible.

5. The catheter pump of claim 3, further comprising a retainer sheath, the retainer sheath configured to hold the stator and the cannula in a collapsed configuration when the stator and cannula are disposed in the retainer sheath and in an expanded configuration when urged out of the retainer sheath.

6. The catheter pump of claim 3, wherein the cannula comprises a mesh.

7. The catheter pump of claim 6, further comprising an elastic coating disposed about the mesh.

8. The catheter pump of claim 6, wherein the stator is part of the mesh.

9. The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the stator comprise blades having an airfoil-type cross-section.

10. The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the stator comprises a plurality of discharge struts, the plurality of discharge struts defining in part the outlet.

11. The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the stator comprises a plurality of elements arranged about a central axis of the catheter pump.

12. The catheter pump of claim 11, wherein the plurality of elements comprise a plurality of linear elements arranged in a uniform circular disposition about a central axis of the catheter pump.

13. The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the stator occupies a short section of the cannula.

14. The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the stator is disposed proximal the impeller.

15. The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the cannula comprises a tubular portion which acts as a fluid flow duct, each of the inlet and the outlet tapered radially inwardly relative to the tubular portion.

16. The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the stator is configured to receive a guidewire therethrough.

17. A catheter pump comprising:

a cannula having an inlet and an outlet;

an impeller disposed in the cannula, the impeller and cannula sized and shaped to be inserted into a heart of a patient; and

a plurality of stationary blades disposed downstream of the impeller between the impeller and the outlet, the stationary blades being arranged about a rotational axis of the impeller, the plurality of stationary blades acting as a stator on fluid flowing from the impeller, through the stationary blades and thereafter out of the outlet,

wherein the stationary blades are coupled with a cylindrical member disposed proximally of the impeller, the cylindrical member being disposed about the rotational axis of the impeller, and wherein the stationary blades comprise a first end fixedly attached to the cylindrical member and a second end spaced radially away from the first end.

18. The catheter pump of claim 17, wherein the impeller and the cannula are expandable and collapsible.

19. The catheter pump of claim 17, wherein the plurality of stationary blades have air foil cross sections.

20. The catheter pump of claim 17, wherein the plurality of stationary blades are expandable and collapsible.

21. The catheter pump of claim 17, wherein the plurality of stationary blades are disposed proximal the impeller.

22. The catheter pump of claim 17, wherein the stationary blades comprise a plurality of struts of a mesh, the mesh being covered along a length thereof to define a flow conveying structure of the cannula, the stationary blades being positioned adjacent to the outlet.

23. A catheter pump comprising:

a cannula having an inlet and an outlet;

an impeller disposed in the cannula, the impeller and cannula sized and shaped to be inserted into a heart of a patient; and

a plurality of stationary blades disposed downstream of the impeller between the impeller and the outlet, the stationary blades being arranged about a rotational axis of the impeller, the plurality of stationary blades acting as a stator on fluid flowing from the impeller, through the stationary blades and thereafter out of the outlet,

wherein the stationary blades comprise an expanded state and wherein a proximal edge of at least one of the stationary blades is inclined distally in the expanded state.

24. The catheter pump of claim 23, wherein the stationary blades are coupled with a cylindrical member disposed proximally of the impeller, the cylindrical member being disposed about the rotational axis of the impeller.

25. The catheter pump of claim 24, wherein the stationary blades comprise a first end fixedly attached to the cylindrical member and a second end spaced radially away from the first end.

26. The catheter pump of claim 23, further comprising a retainer sheath, the retainer sheath configured to compress the stationary blades to a collapsed state when the retainer sheath is moved distally along the inclined proximal edge, the stationary blades configured to expand into an expanded configuration when the stationary blades are positioned distally of a distal end of the retainer sheath.