Ventricular assist devices and integrated sensors thereof

1. A ventricular assist device for intraventricular placement inside a heart of a mammalian subject comprising:

a pump including a housing having an inlet end, an inlet at the inlet end, and an outlet, the pump further including a moveable element disposed in the pump housing for pumping blood from the inlet to the outlet;

a base member;

a spacer member connected to the pump housing and the base member, the base member being positioned a distance from the inlet end of the pump housing to define a gap therebetween; and

one or more sensor elements mounted to at least one from the group consisting of the base member and the housing, the one or more sensor elements being configured to measure one or more blood parameters prevailing within the gap during operation of the pump, the one or more sensor elements include an ultrasonic transducer mounted on at least one from the group consisting of the pump housing and the base element, the other one from the group consisting of the pump housing and the base element has a reflective surface disposed across the gap from the ultrasonic transducer.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensor elements include a first sensor element mounted to the pump housing and a second sensor element mounted to the base member.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first and second sensor elements are ultrasonic transducers.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the pump inlet has a major longitudinal axis, and wherein the ultrasonic transducers are disposed on the base member and pump housing, and during use, ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transducers and passing between the ultrasonic transducers cross the major longitudinal axis of the inlet.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensor elements include an ultrasonic flow sensor, and wherein the device further includes a third sensor element connected to the base member, the third sensor element being a pressure sensor.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pump inlet has a major longitudinal axis, the ultrasonic transducer and the reflective surface being disposed on the base member and pump housing, and wherein ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transducer and passing from the ultrasonic transducer to the reflective surface and back to the transducer will cross the major longitudinal axis of the inlet.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensor elements include a pressure sensor.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the base member has a first end facing toward the pump housing, the base member having a passageway extending within the base member to an opening at the first end of the base member, and wherein the pressure sensor is disposed in the passageway.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the pressure sensor is mounted on a plug and the plug is releasably received in the passageway.

10. A ventricular assist device for connection to a heart of a mammalian subject, comprising:

a first housing member defining an inlet

a second housing member coupled to the first housing member and defining an outlet,

the first housing member and the second housing member defining a flow path extending from the inlet to the outlet;

a post extending into the flow path from an inner surface of the second housing thereof and aligned with the inlet;

a rotor sized to be received within the first housing member and the second housing member and defining a bore, the post being received within the bore, the rotor being rotatable about the post to pump blood along the flow path; and

the post includes a cylindrical portion and a conical portion, and the sensor is mounted on at least one from the group consisting of the cylindrical and conical portions.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor.