Abstract: A mechanical circulatory support device includes an inner housing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a flow path there between. The flow path defines a longitudinal axis. A volute downstream of the outlet end has an outlet port. A rotor mounted within the inner housing upstream of the volute and configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis is included. The volute includes an inner surface having a minimum radius immediately adjacent the rotor and a maximum radius at the outlet port that is larger than the minimum radius.

Abstract: A tool for coring a hole in a portion of a patient's body. A cylindrical sheath includes a hollow bore open at both ends. A shaft is axially movable back and forth within the bore. A blade assembly is attached to one end of the shaft. The blade assembly comprises a hollow open cup portion having a closed end and a cutting edge formed around the margin of the open end. An interface is attached to the sheath which is shaped and dimensioned to communicate with a connector used to connect a medical device to a patient's body.

Abstract: A method of implanting a blood pump in a heart of a mammalian subject includes maintaining a temporary plug in an inlet opening of a pump having a pump body and an outlet cannula projecting from the pump body, advancing the pump into a ventricle of the heart through a hole in a wall of the heart so that the inlet of the pump is disposed within the ventricle and the outlet cannula extends through a valve of the heart into an artery, and then withdrawing the temporary plug from the inlet of the pump.

Abstract: A dry disconnect device including a first portion defining an outlet and an outlet portion of a fluid pathway and a female valve disposed within the first portion having an extended position, including the female valve being configured to seal the outlet portion, and a retracted position. A second portion defining an inlet and an inlet portion of the fluid pathway is lockingly engageable with the first portion. A male valve is disposed within the second portion including a male valve transition member configured to translate the male valve from an extended position to a retracted position including the male valve being configured to seal the inlet portion. The extended position of the male valve causes the female valve to transition from the extended position to the retracted position and causes the outlet portion and the inlet portion of the fluid pathway to be in fluid communication with each other.

Abstract: One aspect of an intravascular ventricular assist device is an implantable blood pump where the pump includes a housing defining a bore having an axis, one or more rotors disposed within the bore, each rotor including a plurality of magnetic poles, and one or more stators surrounding the bore for providing a magnetic field within the bore to induce rotation of each of the one or more rotors. Another aspect of the invention includes methods of providing cardiac assistance to a mammalian subject as, for example, a human. Further aspects of the invention include rotor bodies having helical channels formed longitudinally along the length of the body of the rotor where each helical channel is formed between peripheral support surface areas facing radially outwardly and extending generally in circumferential directions around the rotational axis of the rotor.

Abstract: An axial-flow blood pump for pumping blood includes a substantially cylindrical outer enclosure. A tubular housing concentric with and located within the outer enclosure has at one end an inlet and at an opposite end an outlet. A motor stator is concentric with and located between the outer enclosure and the tubular housing. An impeller is concentric with and located within the tubular housing. The impeller is suspended in operation by a combination of passive magnetic forces between magnets within the impeller or magnetized regions of the impeller and the motor stator and hydrodynamic thrust forces generated as blood flows between the tubular housing and a plurality of hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces located on the impeller. A volute may be in fluid-tight connection with the outlet of the tubular housing for receiving blood in the axial direction and directing blood in a direction normal to the axial direction.

Abstract: A connection system for an implantable blood pump including a pump housing having an impeller disposed therein and a motor housing including a motor disposed therein, the motor housing spaced a distance from the pump housing. A flexible outer sheath couples the pump housing to the motor housing, the outer sheath defining a maximum total length between 7 and 10 centimeters. An inner shaft is coaxial with the outer sheath and couples the motor to the impeller.

Abstract: One aspect of an intravascular ventricular assist device is an implantable blood pump where the pump includes a housing defining a bore having an axis, one or more rotors disposed within the bore, each rotor including a plurality of magnetic poles, and one or more stators surrounding the bore for providing a magnetic field within the bore to induce rotation of each of the one or more rotors. Another aspect of the invention includes methods of providing cardiac assistance to a mammalian subject as, for example, a human. Further aspects of the invention include rotor bodies having helical channels formed longitudinally along the length of the body of the rotor where each helical channel is formed between peripheral support surface areas facing radially outwardly and extending generally in circumferential directions around the rotational axis of the rotor.

Abstract: A pump rotor including a hub defining a major longitudinal axis. A magnet is disposed within the hub along the major longitudinal axis. A plurality of rotor blades project outwardly from the hub away from the longitudinal axis and are spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction around the longitudinal axis. Each of the plurality of rotor blades define a hydrodynamic bearing at an outer extremity thereof remote from the hub. The plurality of rotor blades define a plurality of flow channels. Each of the plurality of rotor blades is configured to drive a fluid through the flow channels upon rotation of the rotor around the axis.

Abstract: A magnetic impeller for a blood pump such as a magnetically driven, rotary ventricular assist device for pumping blood of a patient, the impeller comprising a magnetic alloy including platinum, cobalt, and boron.

Abstract: One aspect of an intravascular ventricular assist device is an implantable blood pump where the pump includes a housing defining a bore having an axis, one or more rotors disposed within the bore, each rotor including a plurality of magnetic poles, and one or more stators surrounding the bore for providing a magnetic field within the bore to induce rotation of each of the one or more rotors. Another aspect of the invention includes methods of providing cardiac assistance to a mammalian subject as, for example, a human. Further aspects of the invention include rotor bodies having helical channels formed longitudinally along the length of the body of the rotor where each helical channel is formed between peripheral support surface areas facing radially outwardly and extending generally in circumferential directions around the rotational axis of the rotor.

Abstract: One aspect of an intravascular ventricular assist device is an implantable blood pump where the pump includes a housing defining a bore having an axis, one or more rotors disposed within the bore, each rotor including a plurality of magnetic poles, and one or more stators surrounding the bore for providing a magnetic field within the bore to induce rotation of each of the one or more rotors. Another aspect of the invention includes methods of providing cardiac assistance to a mammalian subject as, for example, a human. Further aspects of the invention include rotor bodies having helical channels formed longitudinally along the length of the body of the rotor where each helical channel is formed between peripheral support surface areas facing radially outwardly and extending generally in circumferential directions around the rotational axis of the rotor.

Abstract: A blood pump casing including a unitary body. The unitary body defines an inlet chamber extending along a first axis and having a first radius perpendicular to the first axis. A transition chamber is connected to the inlet chamber and has a wall extending in a circumferential direction around the first axis, the wall has a major radius and a minor radius from the first axis, the major radius being greater than the first radius. A post extends from the transition chamber into the inlet chamber along the first axis, the post tapers in the direction around the first axis toward the inlet chamber. An outlet is connected to the transition chamber and extends along a second axis transverse to the first axis.

Abstract: An axial-flow blood pump for pumping blood includes a substantially cylindrical outer enclosure. A tubular housing concentric with and located within the outer enclosure has at one end an inlet and at an opposite end an outlet. A motor stator is concentric with and located between the outer enclosure and the tubular housing. An impeller is concentric with and located within the tubular housing. The impeller is suspended in operation by a combination of passive magnetic forces between magnets within the impeller or magnetized regions of the impeller and the motor stator and hydrodynamic thrust forces generated as blood flows between the tubular housing and a plurality of hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces located on the impeller. A volute may be in fluid-tight connection with the outlet of the tubular housing for receiving blood in the axial direction and directing blood in a direction normal to the axial direction.

Abstract: A ventricular assist device includes a pump such as an axial flow pump, an outflow cannula connected to the outlet of the pump, and an anchor element. The anchor element is physically connected to the pump, as by an elongated element. The pump is implanted within the left ventricle with the outflow cannula projecting through the aortic valve but desirably terminating short of the aortic arch. The anchor element is fixed to the wall of the heart near the apex of the heart so that the anchor element holds the pump and outflow cannula in position.

Abstract: One aspect of an intravascular ventricular assist device is an implantable blood pump where the pump includes a housing defining a bore having an axis, one or more rotors disposed within the bore, each rotor including a plurality of magnetic poles, and one or more stators surrounding the bore for providing a magnetic field within the bore to induce rotation of each of the one or more rotors. Another aspect of the invention includes methods of providing cardiac assistance to a mammalian subject as, for example, a human. Further aspects of the invention include rotor bodies having helical channels formed longitudinally along the length of the body of the rotor where each helical channel is formed between peripheral support surface areas facing radially outwardly and extending generally in circumferential directions around the rotational axis of the rotor.

Abstract: An axial-flow blood pump for pumping blood includes a substantially cylindrical outer enclosure. A tubular housing concentric with and located within the outer enclosure has at one end an inlet and at an opposite end an outlet. A motor stator is concentric with and located between the outer enclosure and the tubular housing. An impeller is concentric with and located within the tubular housing. The impeller is suspended in operation by a combination of passive magnetic forces between magnets within the impeller or magnetized regions of the impeller and the motor stator and hydrodynamic thrust forces generated as blood flows between the tubular housing and a plurality of hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces located on the impeller. A volute may be in fluid-tight connection with the outlet of the tubular housing for receiving blood in the axial direction and directing blood in a direction normal to the axial direction.

Abstract: A rotary blood pump includes a casing defining a pumping chamber. The pumping chamber has a blood inlet and a tangential blood outlet. One or more motor stators are provided outside of the pumping chamber. A rotatable impeller is within the pumping chamber and is adapted to cause blood entering the pumping chamber to move to the blood outlet. The impeller has one or more magnetic regions. The impeller is radially constrained in rotation by magnetic coupling to one or more motor stators and is axially constrained in rotation by one or more hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces on the impeller.

Abstract: A connector for connecting an implant device to tissue of a person's body. The connector including a frame having first and second arms. The first and second arms define an opening, where at least a portion of the implant device is inserted through the opening. After insertion, an additional securing member is connected to the frame. The securing member is adapted to receive at least one suture to secure the frame to the tissue. The connector includes an adjuster that is movably connected to the first and second arms, where the adjuster is operable to cause the first and second arms to move toward each other and engage the implant device.

Abstract: A blood pump including a housing defining a fluid flow path, an upstream end, a downstream end, and an outlet at the downstream end. A rotor is disposed within the housing and within the fluid flow path, the rotor being rotatable independent of the housing in a first direction and configured to pump blood downstream toward the outlet. The housing defines an inflow cannula at the upstream end, the inflow cannula defining a proximal end proximate the rotor and an opposite distal end. The inflow cannula defines a major longitudinal axis and minor longitudinal axis, the distal end of inflow cannula defines a plurality of slots radially disposed about the distal end, the plurality of slots being at least one from the group consisting of sloped in the first direction with respect to the major longitudinal axis and angled in the first direction with respect to the minor longitudinal axis.