Sealless rotodynamic pump with radially offset rotor
AssigneeThe Cleveland Clinic Foundation
InventorsLeonard A. R. Golding, William A. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sealless centrifugal blood pump is provided in which a rotatable impeller is supported in a pump housing by fluid bearings during operation. Rotational movement of the impeller is accomplished with an inverted motor for magnetically driving of the impeller and maintenance of the axial running position of the impeller relative to the housing. In an alternative embodiment, the axis of the rotor housing is radially displaced relative to the axes of drive element of the motor and the motor housing.
Claims41
A rotodynamic pump comprising:
- a housing having an axis and an inlet and outlet in fluid communication with a chamber;
- a rotor having an impeller received in the chamber;
- drive means for rotating the rotor relative to the housing including a drive element and a driven element operatively associated with the rotor, the driven element being radially offset/displaced relative to the axis of the drive housing to produce a predetermined radial force of known magnitude and direction;
- fluid bearing means for supporting the rotor in the chamber provided by an extension of an end wall of the chamber;
- and
- means for continually renewing the fluid in contact with all wetted surfaces of the chamber.
A rotodynamic pump comprising:
- a housing having an axis and an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with a chamber;
- a shaftless rotor received in the chamber for selective rotation relative to the housing;
- drive means for rotating the rotor relative to the housing including a drive element having an axis and a driven element operatively associated with the rotor, the axis of the drive element being radially displaced relative to the axis of the housing to produce a radial force of known magnitude and direction;
- a fluid bearing means defined between the rotor and the housing;
- and
- means for continually renewing the fluid in contact with all wetted surfaces on the chamber.
A rotodynamic blood pump comprising:
- a housing having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with a chamber, the housing including a housing portion that extends axially inward to the chamber from an end wall;
- an annular rotor receive in the chamber around the housing portion for selective rotation relative to the housing, the rotor being spaced from the housing and housing portion to define radially spaced first and second passages, the first passage extending between the inlet and outlet and containing an impeller blade set on the rotor for urging flow form the inlet to the outlet, and the second passage being narrowed at first and second ends to form fluid bearings;
- drive means for rotating the rotor relative to the housing including a ferromagnetic assembly received in the rotor and an electric motor stator and winding assembly installed in the housing and radially coupled to the ferromagnetic assembly in the rotor, an axis of the motor stator being radially displaced relative to an axis of the housing to produce a radial force of known magnitude and direction;
- and
- means for continually renewing the blood in contact with all wetted surfaces of the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.