Method and apparatus for long-term assisting a left ventricle to pump blood
Inventors
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-11642511-B2
Publication Date
2023-05-09
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method and apparatus for long-term assisting the left ventricle of a heart to pump blood is disclosed which includes at least one transluminally deliverable pump and a transluminally deliverable support structure which secures the at least one pump within the aorta for long-term use.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to long-term left ventricle assist devices that include a percutaneous/transluminally deliverable rotary axial-flow pump and a deployable support structure. A sheath is transluminally delivered to an operational location within a blood vessel so that a pump assembly is enclosed within a lumen of the sheath. The pump assembly extends along a longitudinal axis and includes a motor coupled to a power wire and an impeller within a pump housing enclosing the impeller.
The support structure comprises a plurality of struts, each strut having an inner fixed end coupled with the pump housing and an outer free end disposed longitudinally away from the inner fixed end. Relative movement between the sheath and the support structure is provided so that the outer free end of at least one strut extends radially outwardly into the blood vessel to engage the pump assembly with a wall upstream of the impeller. Deployment is described by retracting the sheath relative to the struts to deploy the struts, allowing the struts to engage a wall at a location upstream of the impeller, while blood flow is allowed between the struts and along a portion of an outside surface of the pump housing disposed around the impeller.
Power is supplied by way of the power wire and the pump assembly is operated to pump blood. The concept includes anchoring the pump in the descending aorta and alternatively the ascending aorta, and enabling catheter-lab implantation. The described arrangements further include a one-way valve embodiment using the aortic valve in an ascending aorta embodiment, options for pump redundancy/parallel placement, and a catheter-based pump/support replacement concept.
Claims Coverage
The provided set includes three independent claims. Across these claims, the coverage centers on transluminal sheath delivery of a pump assembly, deploying a plurality of struts that engage a vessel/anatomic cavity wall upstream of an impeller, and operating the pump assembly to pump blood, with additional narrowing for delivery route, anchoring structure, and pump configuration.
Transluminally delivering a sheath enclosing a pump assembly and deploying struts upstream of the impeller
Transluminally delivering a sheath to an operational location within a blood vessel, the sheath lumen enclosing a pump assembly with a motor coupled with a power wire, the pump assembly including a pump housing enclosing an impeller and a support structure comprising a plurality of struts; providing relative movement between the sheath and the support structure so that an outer free end of at least one strut extends radially outwardly to engage the pump assembly with a wall upstream of the impeller; supplying power by way of the power wire; and operating the pump assembly to pump blood.
Deploying struts by retracting the sheath to engage a wall upstream of the pump housing
Positioning a pump assembly at an operational location in an anatomic cavity, the pump assembly disposed in a lumen of a sheath and including a pump housing and a support structure with a plurality of struts; retracting the sheath relative to the struts to deploy the struts; allowing at least one strut to engage a wall of the anatomic cavity upstream of the pump housing, with the support structure allowing flow of blood in the aorta between the struts and along a portion of an outside surface of the pump housing disposed around an impeller; and operating the pump assembly to pump blood.
Maintaining blood flow between the outside surface of the pump housing and the cavity wall during strut engagement
Positioning a pump assembly at an operational location in an anatomic cavity in a lumen of a sheath, with a pump housing and a support structure comprising a plurality of struts; retracting the sheath relative to the struts to deploy the struts; allowing at least one strut to engage a wall of the anatomic cavity upstream of an impeller, with the support structure allowing blood flow in the aorta between the struts and along a portion of an outside surface of the pump housing disposed around the impeller, and allowing blood flow between an entirety of the outside surface of the pump housing and the wall of the anatomic cavity at all times when the at least one strut engages the wall; and operating the pump assembly to pump blood.
Across the independent claims, the main inventive concept is deploying a strut-based support structure via sheath retraction or relative sheath/support movement so that strut free ends engage a blood-vessel/anatomic-cavity wall upstream of an impeller, while power is delivered through a power wire to a motor driving an impeller in a pump housing, and the pump assembly is operated to pump blood.
Stated Advantages
Avoiding heart surgery.
Reducing conduits and bleeding.
Improving physiologic blood flow.
Enabling catheter-lab implantation.
Documented Applications
Long-term left ventricle assistance by anchoring a transluminally deliverable rotary axial-flow pump in the descending aorta and alternatively the ascending aorta.
An ascending aorta embodiment using the aortic valve as a one-way valve.
Catheter-lab implantation of the pump and support using percutaneous/transluminal delivery.
Pump redundancy/parallel placement.
Catheter-based pump/support replacement concept.
Interested in licensing this patent?