Cannula having nitinol reinforced inflow region

An intravascular heart pump assembly comprising:

• an elongate catheter having a proximal end configured to be positioned outside of a patient's body and a distal end configured to be positioned in an artery proximate to a patient's heart;
• a rotor having at least one impeller blade coupled to the distal end of the elongate catheter;
• a motor operatively coupled to the rotor;
• and
• a cannula having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end coupled to the distal end of the elongate catheter, the cannula comprising:
• a cannula body having a proximal region and a distal region, the distal region having at least one lateral inflow hole, and the proximal region having at least one lateral outflow hole,
• a sheet formed of a shape memory material and embedded within a polymer, the sheet and the polymer forming the cannula body, and
• in the distal region, the at least one lateral inflow hole being defined by a first layer having a hole in the shape memory material sheet and by a second layer having a hole in the polymer, wherein the hole in the first layer and the hole in the second layer overlap along an external surface of the cannula.