Abstract: A blood pump provides a mechanism to prevent excessive growth of tissue at the transition zone between a smooth blood contacting surface and a textured blood contacting surface. The blood pump includes a blood flow channel having a textured surface, a smooth surface adjacent to the textured surface, and a rotor positioned within the blood flow channel. The rotor includes at least one impeller blade that defines a sweep when the rotor turns. The impeller blade is designed to cut off a portion of a biologic lining as it grows from the textured surface into the sweep of the impeller blade.

Abstract: A bearing includes a first component having a surface and a second component having a surface moveable relative to the surface of the first component and contacting that surface when the components are at rest relative to each other. The surface of the second component is coated with a ceramic material and the surface of the second component is implanted with ions. The bearing can be used in an implantable heart pump.