Patents by Inventor Frank Kirchhoff
Frank Kirchhoff 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).
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Publication number: 20250256063Abstract: A sheath assembly for the insertion of a percutaneous pump includes a tubular sheath body dimensioned for insertion into a blood vessel through a vessel aperture. The tubular sheath body includes a wall having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, a longitudinal axis, an outer surface, an inner surface defining a first lumen substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a second lumen disposed within the wall between the inner surface and the outer surface and extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion. The first lumen is dimensioned to allow passage of a portion of the percutaneous pump, and the second lumen is dimensioned for passage of a guidewire. A stylet is removably positioned to substantially occlude the second lumen. The stylet has a proximal end releasably secured to the sheath assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2025Publication date: August 14, 2025Applicant: ABIOMED, Inc.Inventors: Scott C. Corbett, Glen R. Fantuzzi, John Murphy, Frank Kirchhoff, David Brousseau, Thorsten Siess
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Publication number: 20250195867Abstract: A blood pump motor may be provided. The blood pump motor may have a rotor, and a stator disposed around at least a portion of the rotor. The rotor may have a central axis of rotation. The rotor may include a magnet having a length extending from a distal end to a proximal end. The rotor may be free of an opening extending from the distal end to the proximal end, and/or the magnet may have a distal end portion, a proximal end portion, and a rotationally symmetrical middle portion located between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, the middle portion having a circular cross-section.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2024Publication date: June 19, 2025Applicants: ABIOMED, Inc., Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Frank KIRCHHOFF, Jim Po WANG
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Patent number: 12239799Abstract: A sheath assembly for the insertion of a percutaneous pump includes a tubular sheath body dimensioned for insertion into a blood vessel through a vessel aperture. The tubular sheath body includes a wall having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, a longitudinal axis, an outer surface, an inner surface defining a first lumen substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a second lumen disposed within the wall between the inner surface and the outer surface and extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion. The first lumen is dimensioned to allow passage of a portion of the percutaneous pump, and the second lumen is dimensioned for passage of a guidewire. A stylet is removably positioned to substantially occlude the second lumen. The stylet has a proximal end releasably secured to the sheath assembly.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2023Date of Patent: March 4, 2025Assignee: ABIOMED, INC.Inventors: Scott C. Corbett, Glen R. Fantuzzi, John Murphy, Frank Kirchhoff, David Brousseau, Thorsten Siess
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Publication number: 20250058099Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2024Publication date: February 20, 2025Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff, Christoph Nix
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Publication number: 20250032774Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2024Publication date: January 30, 2025Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Gerd Spanier, Frank Kirchhoff, Thorsten Siess, Dirk Michels
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Patent number: 12161855Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed including: an intracardiac pump device having a path for a guidewire extending through the pump device from a first opening to a second opening; and a lumen which extends from a first end located outside of the pump device, into the pump device through the first opening in the pump device, along the path for the guidewire, out of the pump device through the second opening, and to a second end located outside of the pump device. The lumen is configured to receive the guidewire such that when the guidewire passes through the lumen from the first end to the second end, the guidewire is positioned along the path.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2022Date of Patent: December 10, 2024Assignee: ABIOMED, INC.Inventors: Caitlyn Hastie, Frank Kirchhoff, Thorsten Siess
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Publication number: 20240342432Abstract: An intravascular blood pump for percutaneous insertion comprises 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) comprises an elongate stiffening structure (15) extending continuously longitudinally along the length of the catheter (10) between the proximal end (11) and the distal end (12) of the catheter (10). The stiffening structure (15) may comprise a shape-memory material, such as Nitinol. It may be in the form of a wire that extends loosely through the lumen of the catheter and helps to avoid or significantly reduce kinks in the catheter.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2024Publication date: October 17, 2024Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff
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Publication number: 20240342459Abstract: An intravascular blood pump may be provided, that may include a catheter a miniaturized solid state pump section coupled to a distal end of the catheter. The pump section may include an electric motor comprising a stator and a rotor operably coupled to the stator, a rigid drive shaft disposed within the pump section where the drive shaft is operably coupled to the rotor, and an impeller housing in which an expandable impeller is housed, the expandable impeller being coupled to the drive shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2024Publication date: October 17, 2024Applicants: Abiomed Europe GmbH, ABIOMED, Inc.Inventors: Thorsten SIESS, Frank KIRCHHOFF, Dion MRAZ
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Publication number: 20240293661Abstract: An intravascular blood pump having a rotatable shaft carrying an impeller and a housing with an opening through which the shaft extends with the impeller positioned outside the housing. The shaft and the housing have surfaces forming a circumferential gap which has a gap width of no more than 2 ?m over at least part of the length of the gap and at least one of the surfaces forming the gap is made of a material having a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/mK, in particular a ceramic material such as silicon carbide.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2024Publication date: September 5, 2024Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Frank Kirchhoff, Thorsten Siess, Wolfgang Kerkhoffs
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Patent number: 12076544Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2023Date of Patent: September 3, 2024Assignee: Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff, Christoph Nix
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Publication number: 20240285929Abstract: An intravascular blood pump comprises a pumping device including an impeller and an electric motor for driving the impeller. A rotor of the electric motor is rotatable about an axis of rotation and coupled to the impeller so as to be able to cause rotation of the impeller. An outer sleeve forms a casing of the pumping device, wherein stator components are fixed inside the outer sleeve by means of a casting compound. In a method of manufacturing the blood pump the stator components are placed on a molding base, including the outer sleeve to thereby form an interspace between the molding base and the outer sleeve in which the stator components are disposed. The casting compound is then injected into the interspace via the molding base to fix the stator components inside the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve preferably comprises a magnetically conductive material to form a yoke of the electric motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2024Publication date: August 29, 2024Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Frank Kirchhoff, Josef Penners, Thorsten Siess, Werner Carell, Wolfgang Kerkhoffs
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Patent number: 12064616Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2023Date of Patent: August 20, 2024Assignee: ABIOMED EUROPE GMBHInventors: Gerd Bruno Spanier, Frank Kirchhoff, Thorsten Siess, Dirk Michels
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Publication number: 20240269451Abstract: 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. A wall of the tubular body of the base sheath has a through channel. This channel extends in the wall from the distal end towards the proximal end. The channel can be present separately from the pass-through channel of the base sheath or can form a sideways extension of the pass-through channel, at least at the distal end. Such through channel is adapted to conduct blood from the vessel to the proximal end of the sheath when the sheath has been inserted into a vessel.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2023Publication date: August 15, 2024Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Thorsten Siess, Christoph Nix, Frank Kirchhoff, Patrick Hunziker
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Publication number: 20240229798Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2023Publication date: July 11, 2024Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff
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Publication number: 20240189546Abstract: A sheath assembly for the insertion of a percutaneous pump includes a tubular sheath body dimensioned for insertion into a blood vessel through a vessel aperture. The tubular sheath body includes a wall having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, a longitudinal axis, an outer surface, an inner surface defining a first lumen substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a second lumen disposed within the wall between the inner surface and the outer surface and extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion. The first lumen is dimensioned to allow passage of a portion of the percutaneous pump, and the second lumen is dimensioned for passage of a guidewire. A stylet is removably positioned to substantially occlude the second lumen. The stylet has a proximal end releasably secured to the sheath assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2023Publication date: June 13, 2024Applicant: ABIOMED, IncInventors: Scott C. Corbett, Glen R. Fantuzzi, John Murphy, Frank Kirchhoff, David Brousseau, Thorsten Siess
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Patent number: 11986604Abstract: An intravascular blood pump for percutaneous insertion comprises 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) comprises an elongate stiffening structure (15) extending continuously longitudinally along the length of the catheter (10) between the proximal end (11) and the distal end (12) of the catheter (10). The stiffening structure (15) may comprise a shape-memory material, such as Nitinol. It may be in the form of a wire that extends loosely through the lumen of the catheter and helps to avoid or significantly reduce kinks in the catheter.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2022Date of Patent: May 21, 2024Assignee: ABIOMED EUROPE GMBHInventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff
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Publication number: 20240133383Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2023Publication date: April 25, 2024Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff
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Patent number: 11951299Abstract: An intravascular blood pump having a rotatable shaft carrying an impeller and a housing with an opening through which the shaft extends with the impeller positioned outside the housing. The shaft and the housing have surfaces forming a circumferential gap which has a gap width of no more than 2 ?m over at least part of the length of the gap and at least one of the surfaces forming the gap is made of a material having a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/mK, in particular a ceramic material such as silicon carbide.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2019Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: ABIOMED, INC.Inventors: Frank Kirchhoff, Thorsten Siess, Wolfgang Kerkhoffs
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Patent number: 11951297Abstract: An intravascular blood pump comprises a pumping device including an impeller and an electric motor for driving the impeller. A rotor of the electric motor is rotatable about an axis of rotation and coupled to the impeller so as to be able to cause rotation of the impeller. An outer sleeve forms a casing of the pumping device, wherein stator components are fixed inside the outer sleeve by means of a casting compound. In a method of manufacturing the blood pump the stator components are placed on a molding base, including the outer sleeve to thereby form an interspace between the molding base and the outer sleeve in which the stator components are disposed. The casting compound is then injected into the interspace via the molding base to fix the stator components inside the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve preferably comprises a magnetically conductive material to form a yoke of the electric motor.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2019Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Abiomed Europe GmbhInventors: Frank Kirchhoff, Josef Penners, Thorsten Siess, Werner Carell, Wolfgang Kerkhoffs
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Publication number: 20240058593Abstract: 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).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbHInventors: Walid Aboulhosn, Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff