US 12,064,616 B2
Intravascular blood pump
Gerd Bruno Spanier, Aachen (DE); Frank Kirchhoff, Aachen (DE); Thorsten Siess, Aachen (DE); and Dirk Michels, Aachen (DE)
Assigned to ABIOMED EUROPE GMBH, Aachen (DE)
Filed by Abiomed Europe GmbH, Aachen (DE)
Filed on Mar. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/127,738.
Application 18/127,738 is a continuation of application No. 16/802,660, filed on Feb. 27, 2020, granted, now 11,648,390.
Application 16/802,660 is a continuation of application No. 15/375,477, filed on Dec. 12, 2016, granted, now 10,610,626, issued on Apr. 7, 2020.
Application 15/375,477 is a continuation of application No. 14/377,704, granted, now 9,550,017, issued on Jan. 24, 2017, previously published as PCT/EP2013/053001, filed on Feb. 14, 2013.
Claims priority of application No. 102012202411.5 (DE), filed on Feb. 16, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2023/0302271 A1, Sep. 28, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61M 60/00 (2021.01); A61M 60/122 (2021.01); A61M 60/13 (2021.01); A61M 60/237 (2021.01); A61M 60/422 (2021.01); A61M 60/824 (2021.01); A61M 60/829 (2021.01); A61M 60/148 (2021.01); A61M 60/165 (2021.01)
CPC A61M 60/824 (2021.01) [A61M 60/122 (2021.01); A61M 60/13 (2021.01); A61M 60/237 (2021.01); A61M 60/422 (2021.01); A61M 60/829 (2021.01); A61M 60/148 (2021.01); A61M 60/165 (2021.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
an intravascular blood pump comprising:
a drive section having a motor housing with a proximal end and a distal end and further having an electric motor disposed in the motor housing, the electric motor possessing a motor shaft which protrudes out of the distal end of the motor housing, the motor shaft being radially mounted in the motor housing by a radial bearing located at the proximal end of the motor housing and a radial bearing located at the distal end of the motor housing, wherein the motor shaft is axially mounted within the motor housing by at least one of an axial sliding bearing and a radial-axial sliding bearing;
a catheter connected to the proximal end of the motor housing, the catheter comprising lines for power supply to the electric motor;
a pump section having a tubular pump housing fastened to the distal end of the motor housing and further comprising an impeller disposed on a distal end of the motor shaft, the impeller configured to rotate within the tubular pump housing,
a purge-fluid line,
wherein the radial bearing located at the distal end of the motor housing is configured as a radial sliding bearing and wherein the radial sliding bearing comprises an inner surface forming a bearing gap with a surface of the motor shaft,
wherein the purge-fluid line is positioned such that purge fluid fed through the purge-fluid line flows through the bearing gap of the radial sliding bearing; and
a purge-fluid source for supplying the purge-fluid line with a fluid whose viscosity at 37° C. lies≥1.2 mPa·s.