# US 12,109,367 B2 · Catheter pump with cannula and selectively positionable impeller blade > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,367 B2 - Document ID: US12109367B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/048,087 - Filed: 2022-10-20 - Published: 2023-04-13 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-24 - Assignees: Tc1 LLC - Applicants: Tc1 LLC - Inventors: Alexander King; David Panus; Tracee Eidenschink; John Pocrnich; Kevin Griffin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109367B2 ## CPC - A61M 25/0023: {by the form of the lumen, e.g. cross-section, variable diameter} - A61M 60/13: by means of a catheter allowing explantation, e.g. catheter pumps temporarily introduced via the vascular system - A61M 60/174: discharging the blood to the ventricle or arterial system via a cannula internal to the ventricle or arterial system - A61M 60/216: including a rotating member acting on the blood, e.g. impeller - 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 60/585: User interfaces - A61M 60/808: specially adapted for deformable impellers, e.g. expandable impellers - A61M 60/81: Pump housings - A61M 60/825: Contact bearings, e.g. ball-and-cup or pivot bearings - A61M 60/865: Devices for guiding or inserting pumps or pumping devices into the patient's body - A61M 25/04: in the body, e.g. expansible {(A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence)} - A61M 60/148: in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices - A61M 2025/0024: {Expandable catheters or sheaths} - A61M 2025/0025: {having a collapsible lumen} - 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)} ## Abstract A catheter pump includes a cannula having an inlet, an outlet, and a blood flow channel extending between the inlet and the outlet along a longitudinal axis. At least one impeller blade is operable to convey blood through the blood flow channel between the inlet to the outlet, wherein the at least one impeller blade is axially movable relative the cannula in a first direction toward the inlet and in a second direction away from the inlet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A catheter pump comprising: a cannula comprising an inlet, an outlet, and a blood flow channel extending between the inlet and the outlet along a longitudinal axis, wherein the blood flow channel has a constant diameter along the longitudinal axis and wherein at least the inlet has a variable diameter along the longitudinal axis; and at least one impeller blade being operable to convey blood through the blood flow channel between the inlet and the outlet; wherein the at least one impeller blade is axially movable relative to the cannula in a first direction toward the inlet and in a second direction away from the inlet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the at least one impeller blade is selectively positionable relative to the inlet between a first predetermined position and a second predetermined position, and wherein the at least one impeller blade is operable to convey blood through the blood flow channel in at least one of the first predetermined position and the second predetermined position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The catheter pump of claim 2, wherein the at least one impeller blade is at least partly separated from the cannula in at least one of the first and second predetermined positions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The catheter pump of claim 3, wherein the at least one impeller blade is collapsible. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The catheter pump of claim 4, wherein the cannula is expandable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The catheter pump of claim 5, wherein the cannula includes a shape memory material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The catheter pump of claim 2, further comprising an actuator operable to cause a relative repositioning of the at least one impeller blade between the first and second predetermined positions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The catheter pump of claim 7, wherein the actuator includes a knob, a button, a spring, or a motor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the at least one impeller blade is slidably movable within the blood flow channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The catheter pump of claim 1, wherein the inlet flares radially outwardly relative to the constant diameter of the blood flow channel. ### Claim 11 A catheter pump comprising: a cannula comprising an inlet having a varying internal diameter, an outlet having a varying internal diameter, and a blood flow channel having a uniform internal diameter extending between the inlet and the outlet; and at least one impeller blade operable to convey blood through the blood flow channel from the inlet to the outlet; wherein the at least one impeller blade is axially translatable relative to the cannula between respectively different first and second positions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The catheter pump of claim 11, wherein in the first position the at least one impeller blade is entirely within the blood flow channel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The catheter pump of claim 12, wherein in the second position the at least one impeller blade is at least partially withdrawn from the blood flow channel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The catheter pump of claim 13, further comprising an actuator configured to cause a transition of the at least one impeller blade between the first and second positions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The catheter pump of claim 14, wherein the actuator includes a knob, a button, a spring, or a motor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The catheter pump of claim 15, wherein the cannula includes a shape memory material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The catheter pump of claim 11, wherein the cannula is expandable. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The catheter pump of claim 11, wherein the varying internal diameter of the inlet exceeds the uniform internal diameter of the blood flow channel. ### Claim 19 A catheter pump comprising: an expandable cannula comprising a tapered inlet zone, a tapered outlet zone, and a blood flow channel extending between the tapered inlet zone and the tapered outlet zone; at least one impeller blade operable to convey blood from the inlet to the outlet, wherein the at least one impeller blade is axially movable relative to the expandable cannula along a longitudinal axis; and an actuator operable to adjust a relative axial spacing of the at least one impeller blade with respect to the inlet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The catheter pump of claim 19, further comprising an impeller body, wherein the impeller body is slidably moveable within the blood flow channel between a first adjusted position and a second adjusted position. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The catheter pump of claim 19, wherein the at least one impeller blade is at least partially separated from the tapered inlet in one of the first and second adjusted positions. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The catheter pump of claim 19, wherein the actuator includes a knob, a button, a spring, or a motor. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The catheter pump of claim 19, wherein the tapered inlet zone includes an outwardly flared taper relative to a longitudinal axis of the blood flow channel.