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).

  • Publication number: 20250256063
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2025
    Publication date: August 14, 2025
    Applicant: ABIOMED, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott C. Corbett, Glen R. Fantuzzi, John Murphy, Frank Kirchhoff, David Brousseau, Thorsten Siess
  • Publication number: 20250195867
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2024
    Publication date: June 19, 2025
    Applicants: ABIOMED, Inc., Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Frank KIRCHHOFF, Jim Po WANG
  • Patent number: 12239799
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: ABIOMED, INC.
    Inventors: Scott C. Corbett, Glen R. Fantuzzi, John Murphy, Frank Kirchhoff, David Brousseau, Thorsten Siess
  • Publication number: 20250058099
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2024
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff, Christoph Nix
  • Publication number: 20250032774
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2024
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Gerd Spanier, Frank Kirchhoff, Thorsten Siess, Dirk Michels
  • Patent number: 12161855
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: ABIOMED, INC.
    Inventors: Caitlyn Hastie, Frank Kirchhoff, Thorsten Siess
  • Publication number: 20240342432
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff
  • Publication number: 20240342459
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Applicants: Abiomed Europe GmbH, ABIOMED, Inc.
    Inventors: Thorsten SIESS, Frank KIRCHHOFF, Dion MRAZ
  • Publication number: 20240293661
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2024
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Kirchhoff, Thorsten Siess, Wolfgang Kerkhoffs
  • Patent number: 12076544
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff, Christoph Nix
  • Publication number: 20240285929
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2024
    Publication date: August 29, 2024
    Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Kirchhoff, Josef Penners, Thorsten Siess, Werner Carell, Wolfgang Kerkhoffs
  • Patent number: 12064616
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: ABIOMED EUROPE GMBH
    Inventors: Gerd Bruno Spanier, Frank Kirchhoff, Thorsten Siess, Dirk Michels
  • Publication number: 20240269451
    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. 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: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2023
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Siess, Christoph Nix, Frank Kirchhoff, Patrick Hunziker
  • Publication number: 20240229798
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff
  • Publication number: 20240189546
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2023
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Applicant: ABIOMED, Inc
    Inventors: Scott C. Corbett, Glen R. Fantuzzi, John Murphy, Frank Kirchhoff, David Brousseau, Thorsten Siess
  • Patent number: 11986604
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: ABIOMED EUROPE GMBH
    Inventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff
  • Publication number: 20240133383
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff
  • Patent number: 11951299
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: ABIOMED, INC.
    Inventors: Frank Kirchhoff, Thorsten Siess, Wolfgang Kerkhoffs
  • Patent number: 11951297
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Abiomed Europe Gmbh
    Inventors: Frank Kirchhoff, Josef Penners, Thorsten Siess, Werner Carell, Wolfgang Kerkhoffs
  • Publication number: 20240058593
    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).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Abiomed Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Walid Aboulhosn, Thorsten Siess, Frank Kirchhoff