Ventricular assist device for intraventricular placement

• US 9,956,333 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2017
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heartware,Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Heartware,Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: LaRose, Jeffrey A., Shambaugh, Jr., Charles R., White, Steve A., Tamez, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): FAIRCHILD, MALLIKA DIPAYAN
• Application Number:
  US15/416,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20170165408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/04 implanted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/103 rotating
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/125 Heart
• 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 60/178 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 60/237 the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow 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 60/824 Hydrodynamic or fluid film bearings
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/857 Implantable blood tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/863 Apex rings

Abstract

A ventricular assist device includes a pump such as an axial flow pump, an outflow cannula connected to the outlet of the pump, and an anchor element. The anchor element is physically connected to the pump, as by an elongated element. The pump is implanted within the left ventricle with the outflow cannula projecting through the aortic valve but desirably terminating short of the aortic arch. The anchor element is fixed to the wall of the heart near the apex of the heart so that the anchor element holds the pump and outflow cannula in position.

Claims

1. A blood pump for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject comprising:

a rigid elongate member defining a major longitudinal axis having a length between proximal and distal ends and a bore extending along the length;

an anchor element connected proximate the proximal end of the rigid elongate member and mountable to the subject'"'"'s heart; and

a pump defining a pump axis and including an inlet at a first end and an outlet at a second end, the inlet and outlet being positioned along the pump axis, a rotor defining a rotor axis coincident with the pump axis and including at least one electric drive coil spaced laterally from the pump axis and the rotor axis for magnetically driving the rotor, the pump being coupled proximate the distal end of the rigid elongate member and remote from the anchor element, the rotor axis and the pump axis being offset from the member axis.

2. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a wiring extending through the bore of the pump, and wherein the proximal end of the rigid elongate member includes a fitting through which the wiring passes into the bore of the rigid elongate member.

3. The pump of claim 2, wherein the wiring extends from a source of electrical power, through the fitting of the rigid elongate member, through the bore of the rigid elongate member, and to the at least one electric drive coil to drive the rotor of the pump.

4. The pump of claim 2, wherein the fitting is a fluid-tight feedthrough.

5. The pump of claim 1, wherein the rigid elongate member includes at least one curve along at least a portion of its length.

6. The pump of claim 1, wherein the rigid elongate member is connected to the inlet of the pump without occluding blood flow into the inlet of the pump.

7. The pump of claim 6, wherein the rigid elongate member is C-shaped forming an inner channel, and the bore has a cross-sectional shape of a partial annulus, wherein an inner diameter of the channel is similar to a diameter of the inlet of the pump such that blood can pass longitudinally along the channel and into the pump inlet.

8. The pump of claim 6, wherein the rigid elongate member has an outer surface having a cross-sectional shape of a teardrop, wherein the outer surface of the rigid elongate member is streamlined to facilitate fluid flow across the rigid elongate member.

9. The pump of claim 1, wherein the bore of the rigid elongate member has a cross-sectional shape of at least one from the group consisting of a circle, partial annulus, and teardrop.

10. A blood pump for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject comprising:

a pump defining a pump axis, the pump being positionable within the heart and including an inlet and an outlet, the inlet and outlet being positioned along the pump axis, a rotor, and at least one electric drive coil for magnetically driving the rotor; and

an elongate member including a defined pathway having a length and a wiring extending along the defined pathway, the entire length of the defined pathway being offset from the pump axis extending from outside of the pump and into the at least one electric drive coil.

11. The blood pump of claim 10, wherein the defined pathway is in communication with the inlet of the pump without occluding blood flow into the inlet of the pump.

12. The blood pump of claim 10, wherein the defined pathway includes a conduit including a bore.

13. The blood pump of claim 12, wherein the bore is in communication with the inlet of the pump without occluding blood flow into the inlet of the pump.

14. A method for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject comprising:

providing a pump defining a pump axis and having a housing defined between an inlet and an outlet positioned along the pump axis;

advancing an entirety of the pump housing through a wall of the subject'"'"'s heart and into a chamber of the subject'"'"'s heart; and

extending an elongate member including a defined pathway having a length and a wiring along the defined pathway, the entire length of the defined pathway being offset from the pump axis, from a location outside of the subject'"'"'s heart through the wall of the subject'"'"'s heart.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of extending the wiring includes extending the wiring along the defined pathway to one of the group consisting of the inlet and the outlet of the pump without occluding blood flow through the inlet or outlet of the pump.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the defined pathway is a bore extending axially through a rigid elongate member extending from the pump to an anchor element, the method further comprising the step of, after advancing the entirety of the pump through the wall of the subject'"'"'s heart and into the chamber of the subject'"'"'s heart, mounting the anchor element to the wall of the subject'"'"'s heart.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the wiring is extended through the wall of the subject'"'"'s heart through a passage in the anchor element through which the rigid elongate member extends.