# US 2025/0144404 A1 · Blood pump > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0144404 A1 - Document ID: US20250144404A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/730,129 - Filed: 2023-01-25 - Published: 2025-05-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-28 - Assignees: Abiomed Europe GmbH - Applicants: Abiomed Europe GmbH - Inventors: Wolfgang Kerkhoffs; Marius Grauwinkel; Florian Klein; Fiete Boehning - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250144404A1 ## CPC - A61M 60/13: by means of a catheter allowing explantation, e.g. catheter pumps temporarily introduced via the vascular system - A61M 60/818: Bearings - A61M 60/122: Implantable pumps or pumping devices, i.e. the blood being pumped inside the patient's body - A61M 60/216: including a rotating member acting on the blood, e.g. impeller - A61M 60/221: the blood flow through the rotating member having both radial and axial components, e.g. mixed flow pumps - A61M 60/422: the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps - A61M 60/804: Impellers - A61M 60/825: Contact bearings, e.g. ball-and-cup or pivot bearings - A61M 2205/0211: Ceramics - A61M 2205/0233: Conductive materials, e.g. antistatic coatings for spark prevention - A61M 2205/0238: the material being a coating or protective layer - A61M 2205/025: Materials providing resistance against corrosion - A61M 2205/04: implanted - A61M 2205/103: rotating - A61M 2210/12: Blood circulatory system - 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 The present invention relates to a blood pump, in particular intravascular blood pump. The blood pump comprises a pump housing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet connected by a passage, an impeller disposed in said pump housing, a drive unit configured to drive the impeller, and a bearing arrangement rotatably supporting the impeller. The bearing arrangement comprises at least one bearing comprising a first bearing member and a second bearing member, wherein the first bearing member comprises a first abutment portion and the second bearing member comprises a second abutment portion, wherein the first abutment portion comprises a first ceramic material or is composed of a first ceramic material and/or wherein the second abutment portion comprises a second ceramic material or is composed of a second ceramic material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A blood pump, in particular intravascular blood pump, comprising: a pump housing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet connected by a passage, an impeller disposed in said pump housing, a drive unit configured to drive the impeller, and a bearing arrangement rotatably supporting the impeller, wherein the bearing arrangement comprises at least one bearing comprising a first bearing member and a second bearing member, wherein the first bearing member comprises a first abutment portion and the second bearing member comprises a second abutment portion, wherein the first abutment portion comprises a first ceramic material or is composed of a first ceramic material and/or wherein the second abutment portion comprises a second ceramic material or is composed of a second ceramic material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A blood pump according to claim 1, wherein the first ceramic material is different from the second ceramic material or wherein the first ceramic material is identical to the second ceramic material, wherein the first bearing member is preferably entirely composed of the first ceramic material and/or wherein the second bearing member is preferably entirely composed of the second ceramic material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A blood pump according to claim 1, wherein the first abutment portion is composed of a metallic material, in particular cemented carbide, coated with the first ceramic material and/or wherein the second abutment portion is composed of a metallic material, in particular cemented carbide, coated with the second ceramic material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A blood pump according to claim 1, wherein the first abutment portion is coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC) and/or wherein the second abutment portion is coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A blood pump according to claim 1, wherein the first ceramic material is chosen from SIC, ATZ, ZTA or Al2O3, and/or wherein the second ceramic material is chosen from SIC, ATZ, ZTA or Al2O3 ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A blood pump according to claim 1, wherein the first bearing member is at least partially composed of diamond or wherein the second bearing member is at least partially composed of diamond. ### Claim 7 A blood pump, in particular an intravascular blood pump, comprising: a pump housing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet connected by a passage, an impeller disposed in said pump housing, a drive unit configured to drive the impeller, and a bearing arrangement rotatably supporting the impeller, wherein the bearing arrangement comprises at least a first bearing comprising a first bearing member and second bearing member, the first bearing member comprising a first abutment portion and the second bearing member comprising a second abutment portion, and wherein the first abutment portion is coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC) and/or wherein the second abutment portion is coated with DLC and/or wherein the first abutment portion is coated with a diamond coating and/or wherein the second abutment portion is coated with a diamond coating. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A blood pump according to claim 7, wherein the diamond-like carbon coating (DLC) comprise or consists of a boron-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) film. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A blood pump according to claim 8, wherein the diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating comprises a diamond-like carbon (DLC) interlayer, wherein the boron-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) film is deployed on the diamond-like carbon (DLC) interlayer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A blood pump according to claim 8, wherein the boron-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) film comprises a boron to carbon ratio of at 0.01 to 0.4. preferably of 0.03 to 0.1, and most preferably of 0.03. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) A blood pump according to claim 8, wherein the first abutment portion at least partially contacts the second abutment portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) A blood pump according to claim 7, wherein the first bearing member comprises a support element and a ball, wherein the support element comprises the first abutment portion, and wherein the ball abuts the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A blood pump according to claim 12, wherein the ball comprises a third ceramic material or is composed of a third ceramic material and the third ceramic material is chosen from SIC, ATZ, ZTA or Al2O3. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A blood pump according to claim 13, wherein the ball comprises a metallic material, in particular cemented carbide, or is composed of metallic material, in particular cemented carbide. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A blood pump according to claim 12, wherein the ball is coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC). ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A blood pump according to claim 12, wherein the ball comprises diamond or is composed of diamond. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) A blood pump according to claim 7, wherein the first bearing member comprises a first hollow portion filed a with a material having a higher thermal conductivity than a material of the first bearing member, and/or wherein the second bearing member comprises a second hollow portion filed with a material having a higher thermal conductivity than a material of the second bearing member, wherein the material with high thermal conductivity preferably is one of silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy and diamond. ### Claim 18 (depends on 7) A blood pump according to claim 7, wherein the bearing arrangement comprises a first bearing and a second bearing, wherein the first bearing is preferably a pivot bearing and wherein the second bearing is preferably a radial bearing.