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: A blood pump comprises a pump casing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet connected by a passage, and an impeller arranged in said pump casing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The impeller is provided with blades sized and shaped for conveying blood along the passage from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet, and is rotatably supported in the pump casing by a first bearing at a first axial end of the impeller and a second bearing axially spaced apart from the first bearing. The first bearing comprises a projection extending along the axis of rotation and connected to one of the impeller and the pump casing and a cavity in the other one of the impeller and the pump casing, the projection comprising an enlarged portion that engages the cavity such that the first bearing and the second bearing are arranged to bear axial forces in the same axial direction.

Abstract: A blood pump comprises a pump casing a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet connected by a passage, and an impeller. The impeller comprises blades configured to convey blood from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet, the impeller being supported in the pump casing by at least one contact-type bearing comprising a surface of the impeller facing a surface of the pump casing. At least one wash out channel extends through the impeller and is in fluid connection with the passage via a first opening and with the bearing via a second opening. The wash out channel is operatively associated with a secondary pump for pumping blood through the wash out channel towards the bearing. The secondary pump is formed at least partially by said at least one wash out channel extending through the impeller along a direction having at least one tangential directional component.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump comprises a pump casing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet, and an impeller arranged in said pump casing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the impeller has blades sized and shaped for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet. The blood pump further comprises a drive unit for rotating the impeller, the drive unit comprising a plurality of posts arranged about the axis of rotation, wherein each of the posts includes a shaft portion and a head portion. Coil windings around the posts are sequentially controllable so as to create a rotating magnetic field. The drive unit further comprises a back plate which engages ends of the shaft portions of the posts opposite the head portions.

Abstract: A blood pump having a pump casing with a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet, an impeller arranged in said pump casing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The impeller has blades sized and shaped for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet. There is a drive unit for rotating the impeller, the drive unit having a magnetic core including a plurality of posts arranged about the axis of rotation and a back plate connecting the posts and extending between the posts in an intermediate area. A coil winding is disposed around each of the posts. The coil windings are controllable so as to create a rotating magnetic field. The impeller has a magnetic structure arranged to interact with the rotating magnetic field so as to cause rotation of the impeller.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump (1) comprises a pump casing (2) having a blood flow inlet (21) and a blood flow outlet (22), and an impeller (3) arranged in said pump casing (2) so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the impeller (3) has blades (31) sized and shaped for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet (21) to the blood flow outlet (22). The blood pump (1) further comprises a drive unit (104) for rotating the impeller (3), the drive unit (104) comprising a plurality of posts (140) arranged about the axis of rotation (10). Coil windings (47) around the posts are sequentially controllable so as to create a rotating magnetic field. The shaft portion (141) of each of the posts (140) comprises a soft magnetic material which is discontinuous in cross-section transverse to the longitudinal axis of the respective post (140).

Abstract: Device for determination of a CO2 partial pressure value on a blood side of an oxygenator having an oxygenator with a blood side, a gas side and a semipermeable membrane, wherein the membrane separates the blood side from the gas side, the gas side has an inlet and an outlet and, during operation of the oxygenator, a gas flow flows into the inlet to the outlet at a flow rate. The device also has a first sensor configured to measure CO2 partial pressure values of the gas side and a control unit configured to process the measured CO2 partial pressure values of the gas side and to determine a CO2 partial pressure value on the blood side based on the measured CO2 partial pressure values of the gas side. The control unit determines the CO2 partial pressure value on the blood side during operation of the oxygenator.

Abstract: A simply lockable quick coupling for releasably connecting a hose to an implantable apparatus, comprises a first attachment piece that can be connected to the hose and a second attachment piece that can be connected to the apparatus, wherein the attachment pieces can be rotated relative to each other in the locked state.

Abstract: The invention relates to a micromotor (10), the stator of which contains a back iron jacket (18). Said back iron jacket consists of a continuous unslotted sleeve consisting of a metal alloy that contains ferritic iron as the main constituent, up to 30% chromium and preferably aluminium and yttrium oxide. Electric conductivity is reduced by the oxidation of the aluminium. The yttrium oxide performs the same function. The reduced electric conductivity suppresses eddy currents to a great extent. The back iron jacket (18) has a high magnetic conductivity with a small wall thickness, thus increasing the electrical output for a motor with a small diameter.

Abstract: A blood pump comprises a pump casing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet connected by a passage, and an impeller rotatable about an axis of rotation. A surface of the impeller faces a surface of the pump casing spaced from said surface of the impeller by a clearance, the clearance being in fluid connection with the passage at a clearance transition point. At least one wash out channel extends through the impeller and is in fluid connection with the passage via a first opening and with the clearance via a second opening. The first opening of the wash out channel is arranged in an area of the impeller that is under a higher pressure than the clearance transition point so as to cause a blood flow from the first opening through the wash out channel and the clearance to the clearance transition point.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump having a drive section (11), a catheter (14) fastened to the drive section proximally and a pump section (12) fastened to the drive section distally possesses an electric motor (21) whose motor shaft (25) is mounted in the drive section (11) with two radial sliding bearings (27, 31) and an axial sliding bearing (40). During operation, purge fluid is conveyed through the bearing gap of the axial sliding bearing (40) and farther through the radial sliding bearing (31) at the distal end of the drive section (11). The purge fluid is highly viscous, for example 20% glucose solution.

Abstract: Blood pump for percutaneous insertion into a heart's ventricle comprising an electrical motor for driving the blood pump, the electrical motor comprising at least tree motor winding units, wherein each motor winding unit is individually connectable to a power supply via two separate phase supply lines connected to the respective motor winding unit terminals. Motor controller for driving and controlling the electrical motor of the blood pump, wherein the motor controller comprises corresponding phase supply line driving units for each motor winding units of the electrical motor of the blood pump which phase supply line driving units are connected via the corresponding two-phase supply lines with the corresponding motor winding unit. Blood pump system comprising the blood pump and the motor controller.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a cannula (4) for an intravascular blood pump comprises the steps of forming a first axial section (13) and a second axial section (15) of an elongate tubular body of the cannula (4) by dispensing a first liquid material and a second liquid material, respectively, onto a mandrel (7) by means of at least one dispenser (8). The mandrel (7) is rotated and the dispenser (8) moves relative to the mandrel (7) in an axial direction during dispensing of the liquid materials. The first and second axial sections (13, 15) are formed so as to have different bending stiffnesses. The first and second liquid materials are dispensed onto the mandrel (7) such that the first and second liquid materials blend into each other to form a smooth transition area (14).

Abstract: A blood pump for supporting a patient's heart includes a flow cannula having a distal portion including a distal end and a proximal portion including a proximal end opposite the distal end, the distal end of the flow cannula configured to be connected to the patient's heart or a blood vessel to establish fluid communication between the blood pump and the patient's heart and blood vessel, respectively. The flow cannula further includes an intermediate portion attached to the distal portion and the proximal portion, wherein the intermediate portion allows twisting thereof with a lower force than the distal portion and the proximal portion. The intermediate portion can be fully occluded by twisting it. At least a portion of the intermediate portion either alone or in combination with the distal portion is adapted to be permanently attached to the patient's heart or a blood vessel.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump may have a catheter (10) and a pumping device (1) attached to the catheter (10). The catheter (10) extends along a longitudinal axis and has a distal end (11) and a proximal end (12) opposite the distal end (11). The catheter (10) may have a tubular stiffening structure (15) extending longitudinally between the proximal end (12) and the distal end (11) of the catheter (10). The tubular stiffening structure (15) has a lumen (21) and a proximal end (17) and a closed distal end (16) opposite the proximal end (17), wherein the lumen (21) of the stiffening structure (15) is configured to receive a pressurized fluid having an over-pressure of at least 5 bar.

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: 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: A blood pump comprises a pump casing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet, and an impeller arranged in said pump casing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The impeller has blades sized and shaped for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet. The blood pump also has an outflow cannula having an upstream end portion, a downstream end portion and an intermediate portion extending between the upstream end portion and the downstream end portion. The upstream end portion of the outflow cannula is connected to the pump casing such that blood is conveyed from the blood flow outlet of the pump casing into and through the intermediate portion of the outflow cannula towards the downstream end portion of the outflow cannula, wherein the downstream end portion has a blood flow outlet through which blood can exit the outflow cannula.

Abstract: A blood pump comprises a pump casing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet connected by a passage, and an impeller arranged in said pump casing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The impeller is provided with blades sized and shaped for conveying blood along the passage from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet, and is rotatably supported in the pump casing by a first bearing at a first axial end of the impeller and a second bearing axially spaced apart from the first bearing. The first bearing comprises a projection extending along the axis of rotation and connected to one of the impeller and the pump casing and a cavity in the other one of the impeller and the pump casing, the projection comprising an enlarged portion that engages the cavity such that the first bearing and the second bearing are arranged to bear axial forces in the same axial direction.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump having a drive section (11), a catheter (14) fastened to the drive section proximally and a pump section (12) fastened to the drive section distally possesses an electric motor (21) whose motor shaft (25) is mounted in the drive section (11) with two radial sliding bearings (27, 31) and an axial sliding bearing (40). During operation, purge fluid is conveyed through the bearing gap of the axial sliding bearing (40) and further through the radial sliding bearing (31) at the distal end of the drive section (11). The purge fluid is highly viscous, for example 20% glucose solution.