Left ventricular cardiac assist pump and methods therefor

A left ventricular cardiac assist pump having an inlet opening and a discharge opening aligned along an axial direction of the pump, the pump comprising:

• a rotor comprising an impeller and a shaft provided with electric motor magnets;
• a stator arranged around the shaft and provided with electric motor stator windings;
• and
• a casing offset from the stator and radially spaced from the impeller and the stator thereby defining a radial gap therebetween, the rotor and the stator forming a rotor-stator assembly surrounded by the casing, with at least one connecting spacer connecting and offsetting the casing and the stator, the casing defining the inlet opening and the discharge opening of the pump,
• the impeller being positioned on a side of the inlet opening and configured to circulate blood within the radial gap, towards the casing and towards the discharge opening, the radial gap extending along the impeller and the stator so as to not obstruct the flow of blood and whereby the blood flows through the pump substantially within the radial gap between the casing and the impeller and stator.