# US 11,441,601 B1 · Blood pump bearing system with optimized geometry, materials, and manufacturing method

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- Number: US 11,441,601 B1
- Document ID: US11441601B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/953,531
- Filed: 2020-11-20
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-20
- Assignees: RBTS Inc.
- Applicants: RBTS Inc.
- Inventors: Victor Obeid; Michael D. Neary; Edward Marlinski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441601B1

## CPC

- F16C 17/10: for both radial and axial load
- A61M 60/122: Implantable pumps or pumping devices, i.e. the blood being pumped inside the patient's body
- 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
- A61M 60/221: the blood flow through the rotating member having both radial and axial components, e.g. mixed flow pumps
- A61M 60/237: the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly axial components, e.g. axial flow pumps
- A61M 60/422: the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps
- A61M 60/824: Hydrodynamic or fluid film bearings
- A61M 60/825: Contact bearings, e.g. ball-and-cup or pivot bearings
- F04D 29/046: Bearings
- F16C 17/02: for radial load only
- F16C 17/028: {with fixed wedges to generate hydrodynamic pressure, e.g. multi-lobe bearings}
- F16C 17/24: with devices affected by abnormal or undesired positions, e.g. for preventing overheating, for safety
- F16C 33/043: {Sliding surface consisting mainly of ceramics, cermets or hard carbon, e.g. diamond like carbon [DLC]}
- F16C 33/24: with different areas of the sliding surface consisting of different materials
- F16C 2206/56: based on ceramic carbides, e.g. silicon carbide (SiC)
- F16C 2208/58: Several materials as provided for in F16C2208/30 - F16C2208/54 mentioned as option
- F16C 2316/18: Pumps for pumping blood
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- 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)}
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)

## Abstract

A rotor bearing system includes an inner bearing component and an outer bearing component. One of the bearing components includes at least three protrusions sized to form a close running proximity to the remaining component. A bearing gap between the inner bearing component and the outer bearing component is sized to exclude the entry of red blood cells between the bearing components during operation of the rotor bearing system and causing the bearing to operate in an elasto-hydrodynamic regime of mixed- or boundary-lubrication.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A rotor bearing system comprising:
an inner bearing component; and
an outer bearing component,
wherein one of the bearing components includes at least three protrusions sized to form a close running proximity to the remaining component, and
wherein a bearing gap between the inner bearing component and the outer bearing component formed by the protrusions is sized to exclude the entry of red blood cells between the bearing components during operation of the rotor bearing system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The rotor bearing system of claim 1, wherein the protrusions are spherical domes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The rotor bearing system of claim 1, wherein the protrusions are pins.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The rotor bearing system of claim 1, wherein the component containing the protrusions is fabricated from a bearing material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, alumina, sapphire, silicon carbide, zirconia, and yttria-stabilized zirconia.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The rotor bearing system of claim 1, wherein the component containing the protrusions is fabricated from a bearing material selected from the group consisting of poly ether-ether ketone (PEEK), ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), polyetherimide (ULTEM), and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The rotor bearing system of claim 1, wherein the bearing components are generally conical in shape and react to both radial and axial loads simultaneously.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The rotor bearing system of claim 1, wherein the bearing components are generally cylindrical in shape and react to both radial loads and overturning moments simultaneously.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The rotor bearing system of claim 1, wherein the bearing component containing the protrusions moves with respect to the other bearing component, the other bearing component being fixed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The rotor bearing system of claim 1, wherein the bearing component containing the protrusions is fixed and wherein the other bearing component moves with respect to the bearing component containing the protrusions.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The bearing system of claim 1, wherein the bearing components move in rotation relative to each other.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The bearing system of claim 1, wherein the bearing components move in oscillation relative to each other.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The bearing system of claim 1, wherein the bearing components move in notation relative to each other.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The bearing system of claim 1, wherein the bearing components move in translation relative to each other.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The bearing system of claim 1, wherein the protrusions have a dome-shape.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The bearing system of claim 1, wherein the protrusions have a hemi-cylindrical shape.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The bearing system of claim 1, wherein one of the bearing components includes sleeve having at least three receivers, each receiver configured to receive at least three drop-in components, and an outer backing ring configured to capture and retain the at least three drop-in components.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The bearing system of claim 16, wherein the drop-in components comprise spheres made from one of an engineered plastic and ceramic.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The bearing system of claim 16, wherein each of the receivers is designed to accept a drop-in pin.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The bearing system of claim 16, wherein each of the receivers is designed to accept a drop-in hemisphere.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The bearing system of claim 16, wherein each of the receivers is designed to accept a drop-in ellipsoidal dome.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The bearing system of claim 16, wherein each of the receivers is designed to accept a drop-in cylinder.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The bearing system of claim 16, wherein the drop-in components are generally cylindrical in shape to react to both radial loads and overturning moments simultaneously.