(a) a rotor comprising an impeller, having impeller blades, extending from a proximal end of said rotor, and magnets contained in a base region of said rotor;

(b) a pump housing having two sections comprising a rotor housing section, and a motor housing section;

(c) wherein said rotor housing section is configured to define a pumping chamber having a first opening at a proximal end of the pumping chamber, which is disposed surrounding a tip portion of said impeller, and a second opening at a distal end of the pumping chamber into which said motor housing section is retained;

(d) said motor housing section having a first end which encloses a magnetically-driven radial motor or actuator in which a rotor stator is configured for driving an internal rotor whose proximal end comprises one or more magnets;

(e) wherein a proximal face of said first end of said motor housing section is configured for being positioned next to said base region of said rotor within said rotor housing section, such that said one or more magnets of said internal rotor form a magnetic field coupling with corresponding magnets in the rotor, wherein the magnetic field extends across a leakage path between the rotor and the motor housing section, to displace the magnets contained in the base region of said rotor for rotating said rotor;

(f) wherein said proximal face of said first end of said motor housing section is fitted to said base region of said rotor to form a bearing and is configured so that actuation of magnetically-driven radial motor or actuator causes impeller rotation within the pumping chamber;

(g) wherein a distal end of said rotor housing section is configured to surround a section of said motor housing section while leaving a separation comprising an annular aperture in fluid communication with said pumping chamber to provide an annular outlet;

(h) wherein said rotor housing section is further configured with radial flow openings toward a distal end of said rotor as disposed within said rotor housing section which provide radial flow from said pumping chamber through said radial flow openings; and

(i) wherein impeller rotation is configured for drawing a flow of blood through the first opening at the proximal end of said rotor housing section into the pumping chamber and along the length of said impeller, wherein a first portion of this flow of blood passes into said leakage flow path and then is output from said annular aperture, while a second portion of the flow of blood is directed from said impeller through said radial flow openings.