Hybrid magnetically suspended and rotated centrifugal pumping apparatus and method

A continuous flow pump for pumping sensitive biological fluids comprising:

• a construct having a first pump housing half and a second pump housing half hermetically sealed to the first pump housing half to form the construct, the construct having a hollow interior and an axial center;
• a pump inlet vessel formed from the first pump housing half and having an inlet throughbore for passage of fluids therethrough and into the hollow interior of the construct;
• a pump outlet vessel radially located from the axial center of the construct and formed from the first and second pump housing halves and having an outlet throughbore for passage of fluids therethrough from the hollow interior of the construct;
• an impeller means disposed within the hollow interior of the construct and out of contact therewith and having an impeller intake opening, impeller chambers, and impeller vanes having a spiral curvature for forming the impeller chambers, the impeller means for controlling fluid flow into the pump inlet vessel, through the hollow interior of the cavity, and out of the pump outlet vessel;
• a magnetic means comprising a plurality of electromagnetic actuators to provide six axes of control, including (i) one axial translational axis, (ii) two radial translational axes, and (iii) three rotational axes comprising two axes controlled for moment and one axis controlled by motor rotation, wherein at least one of the five axes controlled for moment, axial translation, and radial translation is controlled by a set of permanent magnets in the housing magnetized in an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the impeller means, said electromagnetic actuators being positioned for suspending the impeller means out of contact with the hollow interior of the construct and for selectively rotating the impeller means to thereby control fluid flowing through the continuous flow pump;
• and
• a motor means for controlling rotational speed of the impeller means.

A method for pumping sensitive biological fluids using a pump comprising the steps of:

• selecting a pump device having a magnetically suspended impeller within a housing of the pump having at least one permanent magnet disposed therein, the impeller having arcuately shaped vanes for reducing impact on the sensitive fluids traveling through the pump;
• positioning the impeller within the housing according to signals received from magnetic means that are used to magnetically suspend the impeller;
• controlling a plurality of electromagnetic actuators to provide six axes of control, including (i) one axial translational axis, (ii) two radial translational axes, and (iii) three rotational axes comprising two axes controlled for moment and one axis controlled by motor rotation;
• positioning the electromagnetic actuators such that at least one of the five axes controlled for moment, axial translation, and radial translation is controlled by a set of permanent magnets in the housing magnetized in an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the impeller means;
• and
• adjusting the impeller rotational speed and thus the rate of fluid flow according to signals received frog an input and an output of the pump.

Apparatus for pumping sensitive biological fluids comprising:

• a construct having an exterior, a hollow interior having walls therein, at least one housing permanent magnet disposed therein, and an axial center;
• an inlet formed from the construct exterior for passage of fluids therethrough and into the hollow interior of the construct;
• an outlet formed from the construct exterior for passage of fluids therethrough from the hollow interior of the construct, the outlet radially located from the axial center of the construct;
• an impeller means disposed within the hollow interior of the construct and out of contact therewith for controlling fluid flow into the inlet, through the hollow interior of the construct, and out of the outlet, the impeller means having arcuate blades and arcuate passageways whereby fluid flow through the construct is gradually redirected from the inlet to the outlet;
• a magnetic means including at least one impeller permanent magnet juxtaposed to the housing permanent magnet for suspending the impeller means out of contact with the hollow interior of the construct;
• and
• a motor means for selectively rotating the impeller means to thereby control fluid flowing through the apparatus, said motor means including stator windings formed within the housing of the construct and arcuately shaped permanent magnets with a soft iron core formed as part of the impeller means, said permanent magnets and soft iron core arranged such that magnetic flux is present on only one side of the rotor, interacting with stator windings on the same side.

Apparatus for pumping sensitive biological fluids comprising:

• a construct having an exterior, a hollow interior having walls therein, at least one housing permanent magnet disposed therein, and an axial center;
• an inlet formed from the construct exterior for passage of fluids therethrough and into the hollow interior of the construct;
• an outlet formed from the construct exterior for passage of fluids therethrough from the hollow interior of the construct, the outlet radially located from the axial center of the construct;
• an impeller means disposed within the hollow interior of the construct and out of contact therewith for controlling fluid flow into the inlet, through the hollow interior of the construct, and out of the outlet, the impeller means having arcuate blades and arcuate passageways whereby fluid flow through the construct is gradually redirected from the inlet to the outlet;
• a magnetic means including at least one impeller permanent magnet juxtaposed to the housing permanent magnet for suspending the impeller means out of contact with the hollow interior of the construct;
• and
• a motor means for selectively rotating the impeller means to thereby control fluid flowing through the apparatus;
• wherein the impeller means comprises an integrated combination of an impeller for fluid flow through the construct and a rotor being controlled by the motor means thereby allowing the motor means to control rotation of the impeller means, the integrated combination of the impeller and the rotor forming interior sides of a first return flow chamber and a second return flow chamber, respectively, for permitting fluid flow around the suspended impeller means;
• wherein the interior side of the impeller forming the first return flow chamber includes a first member having a curvature corresponding to a curvature of walls of the hollow interior of the construct;
• and
• wherein the first member includes a first impeller permanent magnet for interaction with a first housing permanent magnet and a first impeller permanent magnet set for interaction with a first housing permanent magnet set, wherein (i) the first impeller permanent magnet is juxtaposed wits the first housing permanent magnet such that a pole of the first impeller permanent magnet repels a pole of the first housing permanent magnet and (ii) the first impeller permanent magnet set is juxtaposed with the first housing permanent magnet set such that poles of the first impeller permanent magnet set repel poles of the first housing permanent magnet set thereby preventing contact between the first member and the housing;
• and
• wherein the first impeller magnetic set and the first housing magnetic set each comprise a multiple ring configuration about the impeller and the housing, respectively, the multiple ring configuration of each magnetic set comprising at least one first magnetic ring and at least one second magnetic ring disposed in an attractive orientation with the at least one first magnetic ring and the first impeller magnetic set disposed in reverse polarity with the first housing magnetic set.

Apparatus for pumping sensitive biological fluids comprising:

• a construct having an exterior, a hollow interior having walls therein, at least one housing permanent magnet disposed therein, and an axial center;
• an inlet formed from the construct exterior for passage of fluids therethrough and into the hollow interior of the construct;
• an outlet formed from the construct exterior for passage of fluids therethrough from the hollow interior of the construct, the outlet radially located from the axial center of the construct;
• an impeller means disposed within the hollow interior of the construct and out of contact therewith for controlling fluid flow into the inlet, through the hollow interior of the construct, and out of the outlet, the impeller means having arcuate blades and arcuate passageways whereby fluid flow through the construct is gradually redirected from the inlet to the outlet;
• a magnetic means including at least one impeller permanent magnet juxtaposed to the housing permanent magnet for suspending the impeller means out of contact with the hollow interior of the construct;
• and
• a motor means for selectively rotating the impeller means to thereby control fluid flowing through the apparatus;
• wherein the impeller means comprises an integrated combination of an impeller for fluid flow through the construct and a rotor being controlled by the motor means thereby allowing the motor means to control rotation of the impeller means, the integrated combination of the impeller and the rotor forming interior sides of a first return flow chamber and a second return flow chamber, respectively, for permitting fluid flow around the suspended impeller means;
• wherein the interior side of the rotor forming the second return flow chamber includes a second member having a curvature corresponding to a curvature of walls of the hollow interior of the construct, the second member being coupled to a first member by the arcuate blades of the impeller means wherein impeller chambers are formed from (i) the arcuate blades, (ii) the first member, and (iii) the second member, thus forming the arcuate passageways for the gradual redirection of fluid from the inlet to the outlet;
• wherein the second member includes a second impeller permanent magnet for interaction with a second housing permanent magnet and a second impeller permanent magnet set for interaction with a second housing permanent magnet set, wherein (i) the second impeller permanent magnet is juxtaposed with the second housing permanent magnet such that a pole of the second impeller permanent magnet repels a pole of the second housing permanent magnet and (ii) the second impeller permanent magnet set is juxtaposed with the second housing permanent magnet set such that poles of the second impeller permanent magnet set repel poles of the second housing permanent magnet set thereby preventing contact between the second member and the housing;
• and
• wherein the second impeller permanent magnetic set and the second housing permanent magnetic set each comprise a double ring configuration about the impeller and the housing, respectively, the double ring configuration of each magnetic set comprising a first magnetic ring and a second magnetic ring disposed in an attractive orientation with the first magnetic ring and the second impeller magnetic set disposed in reverse polarity with the second housing magnetic set.

Apparatus for pumping sensitive biological fluids comprising:

• a construct having an exterior, a hollow interior having walls therein, at least one housing permanent magnet disposed therein, and an axial center;
• an inlet formed from the construct exterior for passage of fluids therethrough and into the hollow interior of the construct;
• an outlet formed from the construct exterior for passage of fluids therethrough from the hollow interior of the construct, the outlet radially located from the axial center of the construct;
• an impeller means disposed within the hollow interior of the construct and out of contact therewith for controlling fluid flow into the inlet, through the hollow interior of the construct, and out of the outlet, the impeller means having arcuate blades and arcuate passageways whereby fluid flow through the construct is gradually redirected from the inlet to the outlet;
• a magnetic means including at least one impeller permanent magnet juxtaposed to the housing permanent magnet, which is magnetized in an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the impeller means for suspending the impeller means out of contact with the hollow interior of the construct;
• and
• a motor means for selectively rotating the impeller means to thereby control fluid flowing through the apparatus.