Percutaneous circulatory support system facilitating reduced hemolysis

1 . A percutaneous circulatory support device, comprising:

a motor configured to rotate a drive shaft which is coupled to a drive magnet;

an impeller;

a driven magnet configured to rotate with the impeller, wherein rotation of the drive magnet causes rotation of the driven magnet;

an impeller housing comprising an inlet and an outlet; and

a shaft rotatably fixed relative to the impeller housing;

wherein the outlet is formed of a side portion of the impeller housing; and

wherein the motor is operable to rotatably drive the impeller relative to the shaft and the impeller housing to cause blood to flow into the inlet, through the impeller housing, and out of the outlet.

2 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 1 , further comprising a thrust bearing coupling the impeller to the impeller housing.

3 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 2 , wherein the thrust bearing is a proximal thrust bearing, and further comprising a distal thrust bearing coupling the impeller to the impeller housing.

4 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 1 , further comprising an impeller assembly, the impeller assembly comprising the impeller and an inner tube rotatably supported by the shaft, and the impeller is rotatably fixed relative to the inner tube.

5 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 4 , wherein the inner tube and the impeller are rotatably fixed relative to the driven magnet;

wherein the motor is operable to rotatably drive the impeller, via the drive magnet and the driven magnet, and thereby cause blood to flow into the inlet, through the impeller housing, and out of the outlet.

6 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 1 , wherein the impeller housing comprises a proximal impeller housing portion and a distal impeller housing portion, the proximal impeller housing portion and the distal impeller housing portion being completely disposed apart and thereby forming the outlet therebetween.

7 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 6 , wherein the distal impeller housing portion comprises the inlet.

8 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 1 , wherein the impeller housing comprises a proximal impeller housing portion and a distal impeller housing portion, the proximal impeller housing portion and the distal impeller housing portion only being indirectly coupled via the shaft, and the proximal impeller housing and the distal impeller housing thereby forming the outlet therebetween.

9 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 8 , wherein the distal impeller housing portion comprises the inlet.

10 . A percutaneous circulatory support device, comprising:

a motor configured to rotate a drive shaft;

a drive magnet fixed to the drive shaft;

an impeller;

a driven magnet configured to rotate with the impeller, wherein rotation of the drive magnet causes rotation of the driven magnet;

an impeller housing comprising an inlet and an outlet, the impeller disposed within the impeller housing;

a distal support coupled to the impeller housing opposite the motor; and

a shaft rotatably fixed relative to the impeller housing and the distal support;

wherein the outlet is formed on a side portion of the impeller housing; and

wherein the motor is operable to rotatably drive the impeller relative to the shaft and impeller housing and thereby cause blood to flow into the inlet, through the impeller housing, and out of the outlet.

11 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 10 , further comprising a thrust bearing coupled to the impeller.

12 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 11 , wherein the thrust bearing is a proximal thrust bearing, and further comprising a distal thrust bearing coupled to the impeller.

13 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 10 , further comprising an impeller assembly, the impeller assembly comprising the impeller and an inner tube rotatably supported by the shaft, and the impeller is rotatably fixed relative to the inner tube.

14 . The percutaneous circulatory support device of claim 13 , further comprising:

a drive magnet operably coupled to the motor; and

a driven magnet operably coupled to the drive magnet, the inner tube and the impeller being rotatably fixed relative to the driven magnet;

wherein the motor is operable to rotatably drive the impeller, via the drive magnet and the driven magnet, and thereby cause blood to flow into the inlet, through the impeller housing, and out of the outlet.

15 . A method of manufacturing a percutaneous circulatory support device, the method comprising:

coupling a shaft to an impeller housing such that the shaft is rotatably fixed relative to the impeller housing, wherein the impeller housing comprises an outlet formed on a side portion of the impeller housing;

coupling an impeller to the shaft such that the impeller is disposed within the impeller housing and rotatably supported by the shaft; and

operatively coupling the impeller to a motor, the motor configured to rotate a drive shaft which is coupled to a drive magnet,

wherein rotation of the drive magnet causes rotation of a driven magnet coupled to the impeller to rotate the impeller, and wherein the motor is operable to rotatably drive the impeller relative to the shaft and the impeller housing to cause blood to flow into an inlet of the impeller housing, through the impeller housing, and out of the outlet.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising coupling a thrust bearing to the shaft and the impeller housing before coupling the impeller to the shaft.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising coupling an inner tube to the impeller such that the impeller is rotatably fixed relative to the inner tube, and wherein coupling the impeller to the shaft comprises together coupling the inner tube and the impeller to the shaft.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising coupling a proximal thrust bearing and a distal thrust bearing to the impeller before coupling the impeller to the shaft.