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 introducer set (1) for providing vascular access in a patient's body comprises an introducer sheath (10) and a dilator (20). The introducer sheath (10) has a tubular body (11) made of flexible material with a distal portion (12), a proximal portion (13) and an inner surface, the proximal portion (13) being configured to be inserted into a patients vessel to allow a medical device (100) to be inserted through the introducer sheath (10) into the patient's vessel. At least one of the dilator (20) and the introducer sheath (10) comprises a stiffening structure (25) imparting stiffness to the tubular body (11) of the introducer sheath (10), wherein said stiffening structure (25) can be released, removed or otherwise deactivated.

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 outlet, and an impeller arranged in said pump casing so as to be rotatable. The impeller has blades sized and shaped for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet. The blood pump comprises an outflow cannula having an upstream end portion, a downstream end portion and an intermediate portion. The upstream end portion is connected to the pump casing such that blood is conveyed from the blood flow outlet through the intermediate portion towards the downstream end portion. The downstream end portion has a blood flow outlet through which blood can exit the outflow cannula. At least a portion of the intermediate portion of the outflow cannula has an outer diameter that is larger than an outer diameter of the pump casing.

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 and rotatably supported in the pump casing by a bearing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The impeller has blades for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet. The bearing comprises at least one stationary bearing portion coupled to the pump casing and having a stationary bearing surface that faces radially outwards. The bearing further comprises a rotating bearing surface interacting with the stationary bearing surface to form the bearing, wherein the rotating bearing surface faces radially inwards and is formed on an exposed radially inner edge of the blades. The blades are designed to draw blood deposit on the stationary bearing surface in a radially outward 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 introducer sheath (10) comprises a tubular body (11) with a distal portion (12) and a proximal portion (13), the proximal portion (13) being configured to be inserted into the patient's body. Introducer sheath can be separated along its length in a longitudinal direction. The introducer sheath (10) further comprises at least a first handle (15) which is pivotable about a fulcrum (21). The first handle (15) has a first end portion (151) and a free second end portion (152) so as to form a lever, such that pivoting the handle (15) about the fulcrum (21) causes a contacting portion (23) of the handle to act on a respective counter portion (24) that is operatively connected to the distal portion (12) of the tubular body (11). This creates a breaking force that causes the distal portion (12) of the tubular body (11) to break.

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.

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: A catheter (20), which can be part of an intravascular blood pump, possesses a kink sensor which extends over the total length of the catheter and comprises an optical fiber (28A). The optical fiber is attached to an evaluation device (100) which evaluates a preset light quantity transmitted through the optical fiber as to whether a part of the light quantity is coupled out of the optical fiber along the length of the optical fiber. This is interpreted as a kink event and displayed. The optical fiber preferably utilized for the kink sensor is the optical fiber of an optical pressure sensor.

Abstract: The intracardiac pumping device has a pump (11) connected at its distal end (13) to a canula (15). At the distal end, the canula (15) has a suction head (16) for drawing blood. The suction head is extended by a non-sucking projection (20). The projection stabilizes the position of the pumping device in the heart. It extends the canula (15) mechanically without degrading the hydraulic conditions. It also serves as a spacer to prevent the suction head (16) from adhering to a wall of the heart.

Abstract: The invention relates to an intercardiac pump device comprising a pump (11) whose distal end (13) is connected to a cannula (15) which is provided with a suction head (16) for sucking blood. Said strainer is provided with a non-sucking extension (20) for stabilizing the position of said pump device in the heart and mechanically prolonging the cannula (15) without deteriorating hydraulic conditions. Said extension is also used in the form of a spacer in order to avoid that the suction head (16) adheres to a cardiac wall.

Abstract: A catheter (20), which can be part of an intravascular blood pump, possesses a kink sensor which extends over the total length of the catheter and comprises an optical fiber (28A). The optical fiber is attached to an evaluation device (100) which evaluates a preset light quantity transmitted through the optical fiber as to whether a part of the light quantity is coupled out of the optical fiber along the length of the optical fiber. This is interpreted as a kink event and displayed. The optical fiber preferably utilized for the kink sensor is the optical fiber of an optical pressure sensor.

Abstract: An intravascular rotary blood pump possesses a catheter (10), a pumping device (50) fixed distally to the catheter (10) and at least one pressure sensor (30; 60) firmly connected to the pumping device (50) and having a pressure-sensitive area (32) which is exposed to the surroundings and aligned orthogonally to the general longitudinal axis of the blood pump.

Abstract: An extravascular pulsation blood pump possesses a bidirectionally acting pumping system (P, M) having a pump (P) which is connected via a first conduit (L1) to the left ventricle (LV) and via a second conduit (L2) to the aorta (AO). By means of a control means (St), the pump (P) is operated alternately in one and the other direction according to a given cardiac rhythm, so that alternately blood is sucked through the first conduit (L1) and simultaneously blood ejected through the second conduit (L2) to the same extent, on the one hand, and blood is sucked through the second conduit (L2) and simultaneously blood ejected through the first conduit (L1), on the other hand. The pulsation blood pump combines the functions and advantages of an extravascular copulsation pump with those of an extravascular counterpulsation blood pump.

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.

Abstract: A foldable, intravascularly insertable blood pump (10) comprises a foldable, radially delivering impeller (20) accommodated in a foldable housing or envelope (24). Axially before and behind the impeller a clearance (60) is provided between the impeller (20) and the front and back walls (32, 62) of the housing (24), the clearance being at least 0.2 mm. Preferably, the space defined between adjacent blades (54) of the impeller (20) is open towards the front wall (32) of the housing (24).

Abstract: An intravascular rotary blood pump possesses a catheter (10), a pumping device (50) disposed distally of the catheter and having at its distal end a flexible flow cannula (53) through which blood is either sucked or discharged by the pumping device (50) during operation of the blood pump, and at least one pressure sensor (27, 28A, 30) having at least one optical fiber (28A) which is laid along the flow cannula (53). The optical fiber (28A) and, where applicable, a sliding tube (27) in which the optical fiber (28A) is laid extend along a neutral fiber of the flow cannula (53).

Abstract: The intracardiac pumping device has a pump (11) connected at its distal end (13) to a canula (15). At the distal end, the canula (15) has a suction head (16) for drawing blood. The suction head is extended by a non-sucking projection (20). The projection stabilizes the position of the pumping device in the heart. It extends the canula (15) mechanically without degrading the hydraulic conditions. It also serves as a spacer to prevent the suction head (16) from adhering to a wall of the heart.