Patents by Inventor Thoratec Corporation

Thoratec Corporation has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140010686
    Abstract: A catheter pump is disclosed herein. The catheter pump can include a catheter assembly that comprises a drive shaft and an impeller coupled to a distal end of the drive shaft. A driven assembly can be coupled to a proximal end of the drive shaft within a driven assembly housing. The catheter pump can also include a drive system that comprises a motor and a drive magnet coupled to an output shaft of the motor. The drive system can include a drive assembly housing having at least one magnet therein. Further, a securement device can be configured to prevent disengagement of the driven assembly housing from the drive assembly housing during operation of the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventor: THORATEC CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130303969
    Abstract: A catheter pump assembly is provided that includes an elongate polymeric catheter body, a cannula, and a tubular interface. The elongate polymeric catheter body has a proximal end and a distal end. The cannula has an expandable portion disposed distally of the elongate polymeric catheter body. The cannula can also have another tubular portion that is proximal to the distal portion. The tubular interface has an outer surface configured to be joined to the tubular portion of the cannula and an inner surface. The inner surface is disposed over the distal end of the elongate polymeric catheter body. The tubular interface has a plurality of transverse channels extending outward from the inner surface of the tubular interface. An outer surface of the elongate polymeric catheter body projects into the transverse channels to mechanically integrate the elongate polymeric catheter body with the tubular interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: THORATEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Thoratec Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130225910
    Abstract: A pump assembly 1, 33, 200 adapted for continuous flow pumping of blood. In a particular from the pump 1, 200 is a centrifugal pump wherein the impeller 100, 204 is entirely sealed within the pump housing 2, 201 and is exclusively hydrodynamically suspended therein as the impeller rotates within the fluid 105 urged by electromagnetic means external to the pump cavity 106, 203. Hydrodynamic suspension is assisted by the impeller 100, 204 having deformities therein such as blades 8 with surfaces tapered from the leading edges 102, 223 to the trailing edges 103, 224 of bottom and top edges 221, 222 thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Thoratec Corporation
    Inventor: Thoratec Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130183176
    Abstract: The present invention provides a rotary blood pump with both an attractive magnetic axial bearing and a hydrodynamic bearing. In one embodiment according to the present invention, a rotary pump includes an impeller assembly supported within a pump housing assembly by a magnetic axial bearing and a hydrodynamic bearing. The magnetic axial bearing includes at least two magnets oriented to attract each other. One magnet is positioned in the spindle of the pump housing while the other is disposed within the rotor assembly, proximate to the spindle. In this respect, the two magnets create an attractive axial force that at least partially maintains the relative axial position of the rotor assembly. The hydrodynamic bearing is formed between sloping surfaces that form tight clearances below the rotor assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: THORATEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: THORATEC CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130178932
    Abstract: A percutaneous cable includes a cable body having a first end and second end, the cable body including a sheath adapted to traverse a patient's skin. The cable includes a plurality of conductors disposed within the cable body configured to transmit power and control data between a system controller and two implantable pumps. The cable includes a first connector disposed at the first end of the cable body and coupled to the plurality of conductors, the first connector configured to connect the cable body to the system controller. The cable includes a second connector disposed at the second end of the cable body, the second connector comprising a first set of contacts and a second set of contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: THORATEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Thoratec Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130129503
    Abstract: An impeller includes a hub, and a plurality of blades supported by the hub, the blades being arranged in at least two blade rows. The impeller has a deployed configuration in which the blades extend away from the hub, and a stored configuration in which at least one of the blades is radially compressed, for example by folding the blade towards the hub. The impeller may also have an operational configuration in which at least some of the blades are deformed from the deployed configuration upon rotation of the impeller when in the deployed configuration. The outer edge of one or more blades may have a winglet, and the base of the blades may have an associated indentation to facilitate folding of the blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicants: THORATEC CORPORATION, THE PENN STATE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: The Penn State Research Foundation, Thoratec Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130108489
    Abstract: A rotary pump including an impeller rotatable within a housing. A load is imposed on the impeller as it rotates, in a direction that is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation and wherein the load stabilises the motion of the impeller. The load may be achieved by magnetically biasing the impeller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: Thoratec Corporation
    Inventor: Thoratec Corporation