Granted Patent B2

US 12,661,499 · App. 18/762,863 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Inventors: Paul F. Muller (San Carlos, CA); Keif M. Fitzgerald (San Jose, CA); Richard L. Keenan (Livermore, CA); Veronica J. Neiman (Union City, CA)

Assignee: TC1 LLC

A61M60/857A61M60/13A61M60/174A61M60/216A61M60/411A61M60/554A61M60/808A61M60/816A61M60/825A61M60/827A61M60/867A61B2090/064A61B2090/3966A61M60/148A61M60/211A61M60/414A61M60/577A61M2205/13A61M2205/32A61M2205/3306A61M2205/3334A61M2205/52

Abstract

Claims (27)

1 . A catheter pump comprising:

a catheter body percutaneously insertable into a vasculature of a patient;

a cannula and impeller coupled to the catheter body and deliverable with the catheter body to a target location in the patient's body to perform a treatment procedure;

a sensor assembly comprising at least one sensor element positioned along a distal portion of the catheter body at a position proximally adjacent the impeller; and

a sheath disposed about the catheter body;

wherein the sensor assembly is selectively positionable relative to the sheath in a first position wherein the at least one sensor element is isolated from blood and anatomy in the vasculature and a second position wherein the at least one sensor element is exposed to blood in the vasculature for measuring a pressure of the blood at the target location.

2 . The catheter pump of claim 1 , wherein the sheath is slidable relative to the at least one sensor element to locate the sensor element in the first position or the second position.

3 . The catheter pump of claim 1 , wherein the cannula and impeller are expandable in a deployed configuration from the slidable sheath.

4 . The catheter pump of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor element is exposed through at least one window in the second position.

5 . The catheter pump of claim 4 , wherein the window is formed in the sheath wherein the at least one sensor element is disposed on a wall of the cannula.

6 . The catheter pump of claim 4 , wherein the window is formed in a central lumen of the catheter pump, and the at least one sensor element is disposed in a central lumen that extends distal to the impeller.

7 . The catheter pump of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor element is exposed within a left ventricle of the patient at the target location, and wherein the impeller is operable at a clinician adjustable speed and position relative to the left ventricle to pump blood through an aorta of the patient at a flow rate sufficient to support the patient at a maintained average pressure of less than about 15 mmHg in the left ventricle of the patient.

8 . The catheter pump of claim 7 , wherein the flow rate is at least about 2 liters per minute (Lpm) to about 6 Lpm.

9 . The catheter pump of claim 8 , wherein the flow rate is about 4 Lpm to about 6 Lpm.

10 . The catheter pump of claim 9 , wherein the flow rate is about 4 Lpm to about 5.5 Lpm.

11 . The catheter pump of claim 10 , wherein the flow rate is about 4.5 Lpm to about 5.5 Lpm.

12 . The catheter pump of claim 7 , wherein the maintained average pressure is between about 2 mmHg to about 15 mmHg.

13 . The catheter pump of claim 12 , wherein the maintained average pressure is between about 2 mmHg about 10 mmHg in the left ventricle of the patient.

14 . The catheter pump of claim 13 , wherein the maintained average pressure is between about 2 mmHg and about 8 mmHg.

15 . The catheter pump of claim 14 , wherein the maintained average pressure is between about 3 mmHg to about 6 mmHg.

16 . The catheter pump of claim 15 , wherein the maintained average pressure is between about 4 mmHg to about 5 mmHg.

17 . The catheter pump of claim 7 , wherein the impeller assembly is configured to be advanced past the aortic valve until at least one inlet of the cannula is distal the aortic valve by a distance in a range of about 0.5 cm to about 4 cm.

18 . The catheter pump of claim 17 , wherein the impeller assembly is configured to be advanced past the aortic valve until at least one inlet of the cannula is distal the aortic valve by a distance in a range of about 1.5 cm to about 3 cm.

19 . The catheter pump of claim 7 , wherein the impeller assembly is movable relative to the aortic valve of the patient to substantially smooth out spikes in a pressure signal from the pressure element.

20 . The catheter pump of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor element is exposed within a left ventricle of the patient at the target location, and wherein the impeller is operable at a clinician adjustable speed and position to pump blood through an aorta of the patient at a flow rate sufficient to support the patient at a maintained average pressure of about less than about 135% of a normal human average ventricular pressure.

21 . The catheter pump of claim 20 , wherein the maintained average pressure of about 105% to about 125% of the normal human average ventricular pressure.

22 . The catheter pump of claim 21 , wherein the catheter pump is configured to maintain an average pressure of about 105% to about 115% of the normal human average ventricular pressure.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (400)