Abstract: An attachment device has a sewing ring frame and a locking mechanism movably mounted on the sewing ring frame. The locking mechanism includes a biasing element projecting from the outer surface of the sewing ring frame and a slide substantially co-planar to the sewing ring frame. The slide further includes a first mating member. Additionally, the locking mechanism includes at least one guide member overlapping the slide and a locking pin disposed between the slide and the sewing ring frame. The biasing element is movably coupled to the locking pin and the slide and is transitionable between a first configuration in which the first mating member is in a disengaged position to a second configuration in which the first mating member is in an engaged position.

Abstract: An attachment device has a sewing ring frame and a locking mechanism movably mounted on the sewing ring frame. The locking mechanism includes a biasing element projecting from the outer surface of the sewing ring frame and a slide substantially co-planar to the sewing ring frame. The slide further includes a first mating member. Additionally, the locking mechanism includes at least one guide member overlapping the slide and a locking pin disposed between the slide and the sewing ring frame. The biasing element is movably coupled to the locking pin and the slide and is transitionable between a first configuration in which the first mating member is in a disengaged position to a second configuration in which the first mating member is in an engaged position.

Abstract: A mechanical circulatory support device includes an inner housing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a flow path there between. The flow path defines a longitudinal axis. A volute downstream of the outlet end has an outlet port. A rotor mounted within the inner housing upstream of the volute and configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis is included. The volute includes an inner surface having a minimum radius immediately adjacent the rotor and a maximum radius at the outlet port that is larger than the minimum radius.

Abstract: A mechanical circulatory support device includes an inner housing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a flow path there between. The flow path defines a longitudinal axis. A volute downstream of the outlet end has an outlet port. A rotor mounted within the inner housing upstream of the volute and configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis is included. The volute includes an inner surface having a minimum radius immediately adjacent the rotor and a maximum radius at the outlet port that is larger than the minimum radius.

Abstract: A tool for coring a hole in a portion of a patient's body. A cylindrical sheath includes a hollow bore open at both ends. A shaft is axially movable back and forth within the bore. A blade assembly is attached to one end of the shaft. The blade assembly comprises a hollow open cup portion having a closed end and a cutting edge formed around the margin of the open end. An interface is attached to the sheath which is shaped and dimensioned to communicate with a connector used to connect a medical device to a patient's body.

Abstract: A magnetic impeller for a blood pump such as a magnetically driven, rotary ventricular assist device for pumping blood of a patient, the impeller comprising a magnetic alloy including platinum, cobalt, and boron.

Abstract: A ventricular assist device includes a pump such as an axial flow pump, an outflow cannula connected to the outlet of the pump, and an anchor element. The anchor element is physically connected to the pump, as by an elongated element. The pump is implanted within the left ventricle with the outflow cannula projecting through the aortic valve but desirably terminating short of the aortic arch. The anchor element is fixed to the wall of the heart near the apex of the heart so that the anchor element holds the pump and outflow cannula in position.

Abstract: An axial-flow blood pump includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet opposite therefrom. An impeller located within the housing is suspended during operation by magnetic forces between magnets or magnetized regions of the impeller and a motor stator surrounding the housing, and hydrodynamic thrust forces generated by a flow of blood between the housing and a plurality of hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces located on the impeller. A volute may be in fluid-tight connection with the outlet of the housing for receiving blood in the axial direction and directing blood in a direction normal to the axial direction. The volute has a flow-improving member extending axially from the volute and into the housing in a coaxial direction of the housing.

Abstract: A mechanical circulatory support device includes an inner housing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a flow path there between. The flow path defines a longitudinal axis. A volute downstream of the outlet end has an outlet port. A rotor mounted within the inner housing upstream of the volute and configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis is included. The volute includes an inner surface having a minimum radius immediately adjacent the rotor and a maximum radius at the outlet port that is larger than the minimum radius.

Abstract: A ventricular assist device includes a pump such as an axial flow pump, an outflow cannula connected to the outlet of the pump, and an anchor element. The anchor element is physically connected to the pump, as by an elongated element. The pump is implanted within the left ventricle with the outflow cannula projecting through the aortic valve but desirably terminating short of the aortic arch. The anchor element is fixed to the wall of the heart near the apex of the heart so that the anchor element holds the pump and outflow cannula in position.

Abstract: One aspect of an intravascular ventricular assist device is an implantable blood pump where the pump includes a housing defining a bore having an axis, one or more rotors disposed within the bore, each rotor including a plurality of magnetic poles, and one or more stators surrounding the bore for providing a magnetic field within the bore to induce rotation of each of the one or more rotors. Another aspect of the invention includes methods of providing cardiac assistance to a mammalian subject as, for example, a human. Further aspects of the invention include rotor bodies having helical channels formed longitudinally along the length of the body of the rotor where each helical channel is formed between peripheral support surface areas facing radially outwardly and extending generally in circumferential directions around the rotational axis of the rotor.

Abstract: The present invention, in one embodiment, is a blood pump for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject including a rigid elongate member having a length between proximal and distal ends and a bore extending along the length, an anchor element connected towards the proximal end of the rigid elongate member and mounted to the subject's heart, a pump having an inlet and an outlet, a rotor and at least one electric drive coil for magnetically driving the rotor, the pump connected at or adjacent to the distal end of the rigid elongate member remote from the anchor element and wiring extending through the bore to the pump, wherein the proximal end of the rigid elongate member extends past the anchor element to a position outside of the subject's heart. Additional embodiments of a blood pump, and various methods of intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject are also considered.

Abstract: An axial-flow blood pump includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet opposite therefrom. An impeller located within the housing is suspended during operation by magnetic forces between magnets or magnetized regions of the impeller and a motor stator surrounding the housing, and hydrodynamic thrust forces generated by a flow of blood between the housing and a plurality of hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces located on the impeller. A volute may be in fluid-tight connection with the outlet of the housing for receiving blood in the axial direction and directing blood in a direction normal to the axial direction. The volute has a flow-improving member extending axially from the volute and into the housing in a coaxial direction of the housing.

Abstract: A rotary blood pump includes a casing defining a pumping chamber. The pumping chamber has a blood inlet and a tangential blood outlet. One or more motor stators are provided outside of the pumping chamber. A rotatable impeller is within the pumping chamber and is adapted to cause blood entering the pumping chamber to move to the blood outlet. The impeller has one or more magnetic regions. The impeller is radially constrained in rotation by magnetic coupling to one or more motor stators and is axially constrained in rotation by one or more hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces on the impeller.

Abstract: An axial-flow blood pump for pumping blood includes a substantially cylindrical outer enclosure. A tubular housing concentric with and located within the outer enclosure has at one end an inlet and at an opposite end an outlet. A motor stator is concentric with and located between the outer enclosure and the tubular housing. An impeller is concentric with and located within the tubular housing. The impeller is suspended in operation by a combination of passive magnetic forces between magnets within the impeller or magnetized regions of the impeller and the motor stator and hydrodynamic thrust forces generated as blood flows between the tubular housing and a plurality of hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces located on the impeller. A volute may be in fluid-tight connection with the outlet of the tubular housing for receiving blood in the axial direction and directing blood in a direction normal to the axial direction.

Abstract: A rotary blood pump includes a casing defining a pumping chamber. The pumping chamber has a blood inlet and a tangential blood outlet. One or more motor stators are provided outside of the pumping chamber. A rotatable impeller is within the pumping chamber and is adapted to cause blood entering the pumping chamber to move to the blood outlet. The impeller has one or more magnetic regions. The impeller is radially constrained in rotation by magnetic coupling to one or more motor stators and is axially constrained in rotation by one or more hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces on the impeller.

Abstract: The present invention, in one embodiment, is a blood pump for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject including a rigid elongate member having a length between proximal and distal ends and a bore extending along the length, an anchor element connected towards the proximal end of the rigid elongate member and mounted to the subject's heart, a pump having an inlet and an outlet, a rotor and at least one electric drive coil for magnetically driving the rotor, the pump connected at or adjacent to the distal end of the rigid elongate member remote from the anchor element and wiring extending through the bore to the pump, wherein the proximal end of the rigid elongate member extends past the anchor element to a position outside of the subject's heart. Additional embodiments of a blood pump, and various methods of intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject are also considered.

Abstract: The present invention includes various devices and methods for ventricular assist. In one embodiment, the present invention is a ventricular assist device for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject, the device including a ring configured to be mounted adjacent an apex of the patient's heart; a rigid elongate member having a proximal and distal end; and a pump having a housing and an outflow cannula having a tip, the tip having a distal end projecting through an aortic valve of the subject's heart, wherein the ring and the pump are connected to the rigid elongate member remote from one another so that the rigid elongate member maintains the pump in position relative to the ring.

Abstract: A rotary blood pump includes a casing defining a pumping chamber. The pumping chamber has a blood inlet and a tangential blood outlet. One or more motor stators are provided outside of the pumping chamber. A rotatable impeller is within the pumping chamber and is adapted to cause blood entering the pumping chamber to move to the blood outlet. The impeller has one or more magnetic regions. The impeller is radially constrained in rotation by magnetic coupling to one or more motor stators and is axially constrained in rotation by one or more hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces on the impeller.

Abstract: An axial-flow blood pump for pumping blood includes a substantially cylindrical outer enclosure. A tubular housing concentric with and located within the outer enclosure has at one end an inlet and at an opposite end an outlet. A motor stator is concentric with and located between the outer enclosure and the tubular housing. An impeller is concentric with and located within the tubular housing. The impeller is suspended in operation by a combination of passive magnetic forces between magnets within the impeller or magnetized regions of the impeller and the motor stator and hydrodynamic thrust forces generated as blood flows between the tubular housing and a plurality of hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces located on the impeller. A volute may be in fluid-tight connection with the outlet of the tubular housing for receiving blood in the axial direction and directing blood in a direction normal to the axial direction.