# US 10,864,309 B2 · Heart assist device with expandable impeller pump > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,309 B2 - Document ID: US10864309B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/181,963 - Filed: 2018-11-06 - Published: 2019-03-07 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2006-03-23 - Assignees: The Penn State Research Foundation; Tci Co., Ltd. - Applicants: The Penn State Research Foundation; Tc1 LLC - Inventors: Mark W. McBride; David A. Boger; Robert L. Campbell; Gregory P. Dillon; Stephen A. Hambric; Robert F. Kunz; Boris Leschinsky; Thomas M. Mallison; James P. Runt; Justin M. Walsh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864309B2 ## CPC - F04D 3/00: Axial-flow pumps (priming or boosting F04D9/00) - A61M 60/13: by means of a catheter allowing explantation, e.g. catheter pumps temporarily introduced via the vascular system - A61M 60/148: in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices - A61M 60/174: discharging the blood to the ventricle or arterial system via a cannula internal to the ventricle or arterial system - A61M 60/237: the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps - A61M 60/414: transmitted by a rotating cable, e.g. for blood pumps mounted on a catheter - A61M 60/806: Vanes or blades - A61M 60/808: specially adapted for deformable impellers, e.g. expandable impellers - A61M 60/824: Hydrodynamic or fluid film bearings - A61M 60/865: Devices for guiding or inserting pumps or pumping devices into the patient's body - F04D 3/02: of screw type - F04D 29/181: {Axial flow rotors (F04D29/185 take precedence)} - F04D 29/247: {elastic or self-adjusting} - F04D 29/528: {especially adapted for liquid pumps} - F04D 29/542: {Bladed diffusers (fixing blades to stators F01D9/042)} - A61M 60/829: having a purge fluid supply - A61M 2205/0266: Shape memory materials - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - F05B 2240/311: flexible or elastic - F05B 2280/5001: Elasticity - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G ## 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 ### Claim 1 A catheter pump comprising: a cannula comprising: a non-expandable portion; an expandable portion extending between a proximal end and a distal end; a nose grommet; a plurality of inlet struts extending between the nose grommet and the expandable portion distal end; and a plurality of discharge struts extending between the non-expandable portion and the expandable portion proximal end; and an impeller disposed in the cannula, the impeller sized and shaped to be inserted into a heart of a patient, wherein the impeller is configured to move axially out of the non-expandable portion and into the expandable portion for deployment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inlet struts are configured to prevent obstructions from entering the cannula. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discharge struts are configured to act as stationary stator blades and remove swirl velocity from a discharge flow of the impeller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discharge struts are flat linear elements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discharge struts have an airfoil cross-section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the expandable portion of the cannula comprises a mesh including a hexagonal cell matrix. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the expandable portion of the cannula comprises a mesh including a plurality of circumferential rings connected by axial connectors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The catheter pump of claim 7, wherein the mesh and the plurality of discharge struts are formed from a single tube. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein a geometric density of the expandable portion varies along a length of the expandable portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the expandable portion is formed from a nitinol tube. ### Claim 11 A cannula for a catheter pump, the cannula comprising: a non-expandable portion; an expandable portion extending between a proximal end and a distal end; a nose grommet; a plurality of inlet struts extending between the nose grommet and the expandable portion distal end, the plurality of inlet struts configured to transition from a closed configuration to an expanded configuration, wherein in the closed configuration, the plurality of inlet struts are folded down and radially compressed; and a plurality of discharge struts extending between the non-expandable portion and the expandable portion proximal end. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cannula of claim 11, wherein the plurality of inlet struts are configured to prevent obstructions from entering the cannula. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The cannula of claim 11, wherein the plurality of discharge struts are configured to act as stationary stator blades and remove swirl velocity from a discharge flow of an impeller positioned within the cannula. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The cannula of claim 11, wherein the plurality of discharge struts are flat linear elements. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The cannula of claim 11, wherein the plurality of discharge struts have an airfoil cross-section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The cannula of claim 11, wherein the expandable portion of the cannula comprises a mesh including a hexagonal cell matrix. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The cannula of claim 11, wherein the expandable portion of the cannula comprises a mesh including a plurality of circumferential rings connected by axial connectors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The cannula of claim 17, wherein the mesh and the plurality of discharge struts are formed from a single tube. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The cannula of claim 11, wherein a geometric density of the expandable portion varies along a length of the expandable portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The cannula of claim 11, wherein the expandable portion is formed from a nitinol tube.