Expandable blood pump for cardiac support
View Patent ↗A pump for inducing flow within a vascular system comprises two inlets. The pump has a first configuration for deployment within the vascular system and a second, operable configuration for directing the fluid flow within the vascular system, where the second configuration has a greater diameter than the first configuration. A centrifugal impeller is configured to induce the fluid flow by rotation about an axis of rotation, where the flow is in a direction generally transverse to the impeller's axis of rotation.
1. A pump for inducing flow within a vascular system, comprising:
at least one inlet; and
an impeller configured to induce the fluid flow by rotation about an axis, wherein said fluid flow is in a direction generally transverse to the axis;
wherein said impeller has a first configuration for deployment within the vascular system and a second configuration for directing the fluid flow within the vascular system, the second configuration having a greater diameter than the first configuration.
2. The pump of claim 1 , comprising at least two inlets.
3. The pump of claim 1 , comprising an expandable member at the at least one inlet.
4. The pump of claim 3 , wherein said expandable member contains a selectively adjustable aperture.
5. The pump of claim 3 , wherein said impeller has at least two segments.
6. The pump of claim 5 , wherein each impeller segment is independently controllable.
7. The pump of claim 2 , wherein said impeller has an axially adjustable position.
8. The pump of claim 3 , comprising an expandable member at each of the at least two inlets.
9. The pump of claim 8 , wherein each expandable member has a selectively adjustable aperture.
10. The pump of claim 3 , wherein the expandable member has a length that is axially adjustable.
11. The pump of claim 2 , wherein the pump has an axially adjustable length.
12. The pump of claim 4 , wherein said impeller has an expandable core region.
13. A pump for inducing flow within a vascular system, comprising:
at least two inlets;
a cannula; and
an impeller configured to induce the fluid flow by rotation about an axis;
wherein said impeller has a first configuration for deployment within the vascular system and a second configuration for directing the fluid flow within the vascular system, the second configuration having a greater diameter than the first configuration; and
wherein said cannula has a first configuration for deployment within the vascular system and a second configuration for directing the fluid flow within the vascular system, the second configuration having a greater diameter than the first configuration.
14. The pump of claim 13 , wherein said fluid flow is in a direction generally transverse to the axis.
15. The pump of claim 13 , comprising an expandable member at each inlet.
16. The pump of claim 15 , wherein each expandable member has a selectively adjustable aperture.
17. The pump of claim 15 , comprising a catheter extending to a proximal end of the cannula, wherein the catheter is configured to position the cannula within the vascular system.
18. The pump of claim 14 , wherein said cannula contains a plurality of lateral openings.
19. The pump of claim 16 , wherein said impeller has at least two segments.
20. The pump of claim 16 , wherein said impeller has blades with an arcuate profile.