Abstract: An intravascular blood pump has an intake filter that reduces risk of heart tissue being sucked into an intake port of the pump. The filter defines a plurality of apertures, through which blood flows through the filter. The apertures are sized to prevent ingestion, by the input port, of the heart tissue. The filter includes a plurality of generally helical first struts wound about a longitudinal axis of the filter, and a plurality of second struts. The first and second struts collectively define the plurality of apertures therebetween. The struts may be woven filaments, or the apertures may be defined in a thin film (foil) tube, where remaining material between the apertures form the struts.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump has an intake filter that reduces risk of heart tissue being sucked into an intake port of the pump. The filter defines a plurality of apertures, through which blood flows through the filter. The apertures are sized to prevent ingestion, by the input port, of the heart tissue. The filter includes a plurality of generally helical first struts wound about a longitudinal axis of the filter, and a plurality of second struts. The first and second struts collectively define the plurality of apertures therebetween. The struts may be woven filaments, or the apertures may be defined in a thin film (foil) tube, where remaining material between the apertures form the struts.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining flow through a circulatory support device are provided. The method comprises receiving a motor current signal from a motor of the circulatory support device, determining within a time window of the motor current signal, a measured current value at which flow through the circulatory support device is maximum, determining an offset value based, at least in part, on the measured current value, determining based, at least in part, on the received motor current signal, whether an abnormal condition has occurred, adjusting the motor current signal based, at least in part, on the offset value and the determination of whether an abnormal condition has occurred to produce an adjusted motor current signal, and determining the flow through the circulatory support device based, at least in part, on the adjusted motor current signal.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump has an intake filter that reduces risk of heart tissue being sucked into an intake port of the pump. The filter defines a plurality of apertures, through which blood flows through the filter. The apertures are sized to prevent ingestion, by the input port, of the heart tissue. The filter includes a plurality of generally helical first struts wound about a longitudinal axis of the filter, and a plurality of second struts. The first and second struts collectively define the plurality of apertures therebetween. The struts may be woven filaments, or the apertures may be defined in a thin film (foil) tube, where remaining material between the apertures form the struts.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting suction events in blood pumps by monitoring pump motor current. A pump suction event is detected based on a comparison of a pulsatility index that is calculated based on a filtered pump motor current signal with a first predetermined threshold or based on a comparison of a calculated index associated with a normalized band-pass filtered pump motor current signal with a second predetermined threshold. A suction event is also detected based on comparisons of both the calculated pulsatility index and the calculated index associated with the normalized band-pass filtered pump motor current signal with respective first and second predetermined thresholds.

Abstract: A crimp tool facilitates crimping a resiliently radially compressible human-implantable catheter pump, and transferring the crimped pump into a tubular transfer sheath, by pulling the heart pump through an elongated tube that defines a tapered longitudinal bore. The bore has an inside dimension that tapers gradually along the length of the bore. A large end of the bore is sufficient to accept an uncrimped heart pump. A small end of the bore has a dimension similar to an inside dimension of the transfer sheath. A proximal end of the tube has a hub. A proximal end of a bore through the hub is configured to receive a distal end portion of the transfer sheath coaxially with the tube bore. Optionally, a latch is configured to releasably restrain the distal end portion of the transfer sheath within the hub.

Abstract: A crimp tool facilitates crimping a resiliently radially compressible human-implantable catheter pump, and transferring the crimped pump into a tubular transfer sheath, by pulling the heart pump through an elongated tube that defines a tapered longitudinal bore. The bore has an inside dimension that tapers gradually along the length of the bore. A large end of the bore is sufficient to accept an uncrimped heart pump. A small end of the bore has a dimension similar to an inside dimension of the transfer sheath. A proximal end of the tube has a hub. A proximal end of a bore through the hub is configured to receive a distal end portion of the transfer sheath coaxially with the tube bore. Optionally, a latch is configured to releasably restrain the distal end portion of the transfer sheath within the hub.

Abstract: An intravascular blood pump has an intake filter that reduces risk of heart tissue being sucked into an intake port of the pump. The filter defines a plurality of apertures, through which blood flows through the filter. The apertures are sized to prevent ingestion, by the input port, of the heart tissue. The filter includes a plurality of generally helical first struts wound about a longitudinal axis of the filter, and a plurality of second struts. The first and second struts collectively define the plurality of apertures therebetween. The struts may be woven filaments, or the apertures may be defined in a thin film (foil) tube, where remaining material between the apertures form the struts.

Abstract: The application relates to an external drive unit (7) for an implantable heart assist pump. The proposed drive unit (7) comprises a motor (35) for driving the heart assist pump, wherein the motor (35) is connectable to the heart assist pump via a transcutaneous drive shaft (3). The drive unit (7) further comprises a heat spreader (19) comprising a contact surface configured to contact and/or directly contact and/or lie flat against a skin of a patient. The contact surface is connected or connectable with the motor (35) in a thermally-conductive manner to transfer heat generated by the motor (35) to tissue of the patient.

Abstract: The application relates to an external drive unit (7) for an implantable heart assist pump (4). The proposed drive unit (7) comprises a motor housing (51), a transcutaneous drive shaft (3) and a motor (35) for driving the heart assist pump (4). The motor (35) is connectable to the heart assist pump (4) via the drive shaft (3), and the motor (35) is arranged inside the motor housing (51). The drive unit (7) further comprises a catheter (2) surrounding the drive shaft (3) and a purge line (53) for injecting a purge medium into a lumen of the catheter (2) or into a space (41) between the catheter (2) and the drive shaft (3). The purge line (53) is in thermal contact (54, 55) with an outer surface of the motor housing (51) and/or with an outer surface of a proximal section (52) of the catheter (2). Due to the thermal contact (54, 55) heat may be transferred from the outer surface of the catheter (2) in the proximal section (52) and/or from the outer surface of the motor housing (51) to the purge medium.

Abstract: The application relates to an external drive unit (7) for an implantable heart assist pump. The proposed drive unit (7) comprises a motor (35) for driving the heart assist pump, wherein the motor (35) is connectable to the heart assist pump via a transcutaneous drive shaft (3). The drive unit (7) further comprises a heat spreader (19) comprising a contact surface configured to contact and/or directly contact and/or lie flat against a skin of a patient. The contact surface is connected or connectable with the motor (35) in a thermally-conductive manner to transfer heat generated by the motor (35) to tissue of the patient.

Abstract: The application relates to an external drive unit (7) for an implantable heart assist pump. The proposed drive unit (7) comprises a motor (35) for driving the heart assist pump, wherein the motor (35) is connectable to the heart assist pump via a transcutaneous drive shaft (3). The drive unit (7) further comprises a heat spreader (19) comprising a contact surface configured to contact and/or directly contact and/or lie flat against a skin of a patient. The contact surface is connected or connectable with the motor (35) in a thermally-conductive manner to transfer heat generated by the motor (35) to tissue of the patient.