Flow thru mechanical blood pump bearings
AssigneeEverheart Systems Inc.
InventorsGreg S. Aber, Allan S. Rhoades
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flow thru mechanical bearing system can be used in an implantable rotary blood pump that includes a pump housing. An impeller housed in the pump housing can be radially supported by a row of at least three low friction contact points located on an inside bore of the impeller. The impeller may be axially supported by a second mechanical bearing. The second mechanical bearing may provide at least three axial contact points on the top surfaces of the impeller. The impeller is driven by a magnetic coupling which functions mainly to transmit torque to the impeller. Further, in some cases, the magnetic coupling may restrain axial motion of the impeller.
Claims23
A blood pump comprising:
- a pump housing providing an inlet, an outlet, and a bearing surface;
- an impeller housed in the pump housing and having a plurality of blades joined by a central ring;
- at least three contact protrusions circumferentially spaced on an internal surface of the impeller, wherein the impeller is radially supported by the contact protrusions sliding on the bearing surface;
- and
- a hub configured to rotate about an axis and comprising a first permanent magnet, wherein the impeller comprises a second permanent magnet located within the central ring, the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet overlapping each other in a direction of the axis and forming a radial magnetic coupling to transmit torque from the hub to the impeller;
- wherein a first portion of at least one of the plurality of blades defines a maximum height of the plurality of blades that is greater than or equal to heights of all other portions of the plurality of blades, as measured in a direction that is parallel to the axis;
- wherein each of the contact protrusions is axially between a top end of the first portion and a bottom end of the first portion, the bottom end being axially opposite the top end;
- wherein the radial magnetic coupling is axially between the top end of the first portion and the bottom end of the first portion;
- wherein a topmost extent of the plurality of blades is axially closer to the inlet in a direction of the axis than is (a) a topmost extent of each of the contact protrusions and the radial magnetic coupling and (b) a bottom of the plurality of blades;
- wherein at least a portion of the inlet extends along the axis and is positioned on a side of the impeller that is axially opposite the bottom of the plurality of blades.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.