Abstract: The invention relates to an intravascular blood pump. The blood pump comprises a pump section having a proximal portion with a blood flow inlet and a distal portion with a blood flow outlet and an impeller for causing blood to flow into the blood flow inlet and towards the blood flow outlet. The blood pump further comprises at least one filter connected to the proximal portion of the pump section and arranged with respect to the blood flow inlet so as to filter the blood before it enters the blood flow inlet. The filter may comprise an expandable mesh structure made of a shape-memory material.

Abstract: A sheath for producing a fully sealed access to the interior of a vessel of an animal or human body comprises a base sheath having a tubular body defining a pass-through channel. The base sheath is adapted to be inserted into the vessel through a vessel aperture. A wall of the tubular body of the base sheath has a through channel. This channel extends in the wall from the distal end towards the proximal end. The channel can be present separately from the pass-through channel of the base sheath or can form a sideways extension of the pass-through channel, at least at the distal end. Such through channel is adapted to conduct blood from the vessel to the proximal end of the sheath when the sheath has been inserted into a vessel.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for use in estimating blood flow in an intravascular blood pump comprise retrieving reference data from a set of reference data obtained in a test environment. The set of reference data comprises, for at least one motor speed at different pump loads, including a first pump load, both a reference motor current (I) of a motor driving the blood pump and an amount of fluid flow through the blood pump. After placement of the blood pump in the patient, a patient-specific motor current for said motor speed at said first pump load is measured, and a motor current deviation value (?I) is calculated from the reference motor current (I) at said first pump load and patient-specific motor current. Finally, the motor current deviation value ?I is used for estimating a patient-specific blood flow amount through the blood pump.

Abstract: The invention concerns a control device for controlling a blood flow of an intravascular blood pump for percutaneous insertion into a patient's blood vessel, the blood pump comprising a pump unit with a drive unit for driving the pump unit and configured to convey blood from a blood flow inlet towards a blood flow outlet, wherein the control device is configured to operate the blood pump in a selectable zero-flow control mode, wherein a blood flow command signal is selected, and the control device comprises a first controller and a second controller, wherein the first controller is configured to control the blood flow by adjusting a speed command signal for the drive unit, and the second controller is configured to control a drive speed of the drive unit.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump (1) comprises a ring seal (10) that is configured to assume a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration and configured to contact and seal against an inner wall of the patient's blood vessel when inserted therein in the expanded configuration. A support member (12; 13) is disposed inside the ring seal (10) in order to support the ring seal (10) from the inside, wherein the support member (12; 13) is configured to collapse at least partially when a predetermined pressure difference between a proximal area and a distal area of the blood vessel acting on the ring seal (10) is exceeded.

Abstract: A control device for a ventricular assist device (VAD) with settable speed levels. The control device includes an input configured to receive at least one measuring signal related to a physiological condition of the circulatory system of a patient receiving heart assistance by the VAD, where the control device is configured to derive an actual value of at least one characteristic parameter of the heart from one or more of the at least one measuring signal and to provide a refined actual value of the at least one characteristic parameter in which effects of physiologically caused fluctuations are eliminated or reduced. The control device further includes an output configured to output an updated setting value for the speed level, where the control device is configured to produce the updated setting value based on the refined actual value and a predeterminable set-point value.

Abstract: A control device (100) for controlling the rotational speed (nVAD(t)) of a non-pulsatile ventricular assist device, VAD, (50) uses an event-based within-a-beat control strategy, wherein the control device is configured to alter the rotational speed of the VAD within the cardiac cycle of the assisted heart and to synchronize the alteration of the rotational speed with the heartbeat by at least one sequence of trigger signals (?(t)) that is related to at least one predetermined characteristic event in the cardiac cycle. Further, a VAD (50) for assistance of a heart comprises the control device (100) for controlling the VAD, wherein the VAD is preferably a non-pulsatile rotational, for example catheter-based, blood pump.

Abstract: The invention relates to an intravascular blood pump. The blood pump comprises a pump section having a proximal portion with a blood flow inlet and a distal portion with a blood flow outlet and an impeller for causing blood to flow into the blood flow inlet and towards the blood flow outlet. The blood pump further comprises at least one filter connected to the proximal portion of the pump section and arranged with respect to the blood flow inlet so as to filter the blood before it enters the blood flow inlet. The filter may comprise an expandable mesh structure made of a shape-memory material.

Abstract: A blood pump system including a blood pump, an intravascular flow cannula, and a pressure sensor. The intravascular flow cannula is in flow communication with the blood pump and has a distal end portion distally from the blood pump and a proximal end portion closer to the blood pump. The intravascular flow cannula has at least one blood flow through opening at its distal end portion for blood to enter or exit the flow cannula. The blood flow through opening has a borderline surrounding the through opening. The pressure sensor is configured radially within the flow cannula and borders a proximal portion of the borderline.

Abstract: The invention relates to an intravascular blood pump. The blood pump comprises a pump section and a flow cannula. A proximal end portion of the flow cannula is connected to the pump section such that blood can enter the blood flow inlet, and a distal end portion of the flow cannula includes at least one blood flow-through opening for blood to enter the flow cannula. The distal end portion comprises an enlarged diameter portion, with at least a major portion of the blood flow-through opening being disposed in the enlarged diameter portion. The blood pump further comprises a sleeve overlapping the enlarged diameter portion. The sleeve has a structure that prevents its distal end from bending radially inwards into the blood flow-through openings.

Abstract: A sheath for producing a fully sealed access to the interior of a vessel of an animal or human body comprises a base sheath having a tubular body defining a pass-through channel. The base sheath is adapted to be inserted into the vessel through a vessel aperture. A wall of the tubular body of the base sheath has a through channel. This channel extends in the wall from the distal end towards the proximal end. The channel can be present separately from the pass-through channel of the base sheath or can form a sideways extension of the pass-through channel, at least at the distal end. Such through channel is adapted to conduct blood from the vessel to the proximal end of the sheath when the sheath has been inserted into a vessel.

Abstract: A sheath for producing a fully sealed access to the interior of a vessel of an animal or human body comprises a base sheath having a tubular body defining a pass-through channel. The base sheath is adapted to be inserted into the vessel through a vessel aperture. The sheath further comprises an expansion device which is adapted to cooperate with the base sheath such that the outer diameter of the sheath increases in the region of the vessel aperture with the sheath in a stationary position in the vessel and upon actuation of the expansion device.

Abstract: An intracardiac rotary pump (10) is provided with a pressure differential sensor (18) for supporting the pumping heart. The pressure differential sensor measures the pressure differential between aorta (AO) and left ventricle (LV). This pressure differential must correspond to certain desired values at different speed stages. If the pressure differential deviates to too large an extent, the deviation is recognized as a drift of the pressure sensor, and a correction value is determined in dependence on the drift, the subsequently measured pressure values being corrected with the aid of this correction value. In this manner it is possible to carry out a drift correction on the sensor with the pump arranged in the heart and even with the pump in operation.

Abstract: An intracardiac rotary pump (10) is provided with a pressure differential sensor (18) for supporting the pumping heart. The pressure differential sensor measures the pressure differential between aorta (AO) and left ventricle (LV). This pressure differential must correspond to certain desired values at different speed stages. If the pressure differential deviates to too large an extent, the deviation is recognized as a drift of the pressure sensor, and a correction value is determined in dependence on the drift, the subsequently measured pressure values being corrected with the aid of this correction value. In this manner it is possible to carry out a drift correction on the sensor with the pump arranged in the heart and even with the pump in operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pressure sensor consisting of a chip (11) which is mounted on a support wall (10) and which is provided with a resistance unit consisting of strip conductors and being arranged at the lower side (13) of a substrate (12). Said lower side faces the support wall (10). The resistance unit is located on a thin membrane (18). A recess (19) is located behind said membrane. The chip (11) is fixed on the support wall (10) by means of an elastic intermediate layer (26). The electrical components of the chip are protectively arranged between the substrate (12) and the support wall (10). The invention provides for an extremely flat sensor unit without additional sensor housing. Said sensor unit can even be used for measuring pressures in electrically conductive mediums.

Abstract: The intracardiac blood pump (10) comprises a drive section (11) and a pump section (12). A flexible pump hose (14) is connected to the pump section (12). To lay the pump hose (14) from the right atrium (21) to the pulmonary artery (26) the distal end of the pump hose (14) comprises a balloon (35) which acts as guide element in the blood flow and is entrained by the natural blood flow. This facilitates placing of the blood pump in the heart.

Abstract: The inventive device consists of a disk which can be rotated around a central axis, a wobble pin which is mounted in the disk so that can rotate around an axis which is arranged at an angle in relation to the plane, of said disk, a swivel pin which is secured to the wobble pin at an angle in relation to the axis thereof, and a fastening device which prevents the swivel pin from rotating around the axis of the disk. This mechanism forms a gear enabling a rotational unidirectional movement to be translated into a back-and-forth movement in applications where limited height is available. The preferred area of application is in implantable blood pumps.

Abstract: A blood pump comprises a drive portion (11) and a pump portion (12) prolongated by a flexible hose (13). Pressure sensors (60, 61) determine the differential pressure between the inlet side and the outlet side of the pump. The volume flow can be determined from the differential pressure in conjunction with the rotational speed. Further, the differential pressure may be used to find the correct position of the pump in the heart. As an alternative to measuring the differential pressure, the motor current consumed by the motor (21) is measured and the volume flow of the pump is calculated therefrom under consideration of the known rotational speed. The signal from the pressure measuring device or the motor current may be used to establish the correct position of the pump in the heart.