Axial Flux Motor of Percutaneous Circulatory Support Device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an axial flux motor, the axial flux motor comprising a housing, a drive shaft, at least one rotor and at least one stator, the drive shaft being disposed within the housing. The at least one rotor includes a radially magnetized single pole pair magnetic ring having a rotor bore, the rotor bore defining a center through the magnetic ring, wherein the drive shaft extends through the rotor bore, and wherein the at least one rotor is fixed to the drive shaft. The at least one stator includes a plurality of conductive windings and a stator bore, wherein the drive shaft extends through the stator bore, and wherein the drive shaft is rotatable within the bore. The at least one stator is configured to generate an axial magnetic field, the axial magnetic field causing the at least one rotor to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority of Provisional Application No. 62 / 723,591, filed on Aug. 28, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to magnetic motors. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a percutaneous circulatory support device having an axial flux magnetic motor. Background Art

[0004] Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to meet the metabolic needs of the body. Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization for patients over 65 years old, with a 50% three-year mortality rate and costing the healthcare system over $30 billion. Possible solutions for treating patients with heart failure include percutaneous mechanical circulatory support, a means of providing acute local support percutaneously to increase cardiac output as needed. Percutaneous circulatory support can be used for patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), cardiogenic shock, and / or during high-risk PCI procedures. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In Example 1, an axial flux motor includes: a housing; a drive shaft disposed within the housing; at least one rotor including a radially magnetized monopole pair magnetic ring having a rotor hole that defines a center through the magnetic ring, wherein the drive shaft extends through the rotor hole and wherein at least one rotor is fixed to the drive shaft; and at least one stator including a plurality of conductive windings and a stator hole, wherein the drive shaft extends through the stator hole, wherein the drive shaft is rotatable within the hole, and wherein at least one stator is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes at least one rotor to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft.

[0006] In Example 2, the motor according to Example 1, wherein at least one stator includes a plurality of stators, wherein each of the plurality of stators is configured to cause at least one adjacent rotor to rotate.

[0007] In Example 3, the motor according to any one of Examples 1 or 2, wherein at least one stator includes a slotted stator core, wherein each of the plurality of conductive windings is wound around more than one slot of the stator core.

[0008] In Example 4, the motor according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein each of the windings is generally wedge-shaped, the winding having a first width at a first end adjacent to the drive shaft and a second width at a second end, wherein the second width is greater than the first width.

[0009] In Example 5, the electric machine according to any one of Examples 1 to 4 further includes: a first bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft; a second bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft such that at least one rotor and at least one stator are disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing; a first flux return disk disposed between the first bearing and at least one rotor and at least one stator; and a second flux return disk disposed between the second bearing and at least one rotor and at least one stator.

[0010] In Example 6, in the electric machine according to Example 5, each of the first and second flux return disks is made of Haynes alloy.

[0011] In Example 7, in the electric machine according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, each of the plurality of windings is printed on a printed circuit board or 3D printed.

[0012] In Example 8, in the electric machine according to any one of Examples 1 to 7, the electric machine is configured to drive an impeller of a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, and the impeller is coupled to the drive shaft.

[0013] In Example 9, an axial flux electric machine includes: a housing; a drive shaft disposed within the housing; at least one rotor including a radially magnetized single pole pair magnetic ring having a rotor hole that defines a center through the magnetic ring, wherein the drive shaft extends through the rotor hole and wherein at least one rotor is fixed to the drive shaft; and at least one stator including a plurality of conductive windings and a stator hole, the plurality of conductive windings being arranged around the drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft extends through the stator hole and wherein the drive shaft is rotatable within the hole, wherein at least one stator does not include a stator core, and wherein at least one stator is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes at least one rotor to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft.

[0014] In Example 10, in the electric machine according to Example 9, each of the plurality of conductive windings is coupled to an inner surface of the housing, and each of the plurality of windings is generally wedge-shaped, the winding having a first width at a first end adjacent to the drive shaft and a second width at a second end, and wherein the second width is greater than the first width.

[0015] In Example 11, in the electric machine according to any one of Examples 9 or 10, each of the plurality of windings is 3D printed.

[0016] In Example 12, the electric machine according to any one of Examples 9 to 11 further includes: a first bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft; a second bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft such that at least one rotor and at least one stator are disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing; a first Hiperco flux return disk disposed between the first bearing and at least one rotor and at least one stator; and a second Hiperco flux return disk disposed between the second bearing and at least one rotor and at least one stator.

[0017] In Example 13, the electric machine according to any one of Examples 9 to 12, wherein the electric machine is configured to drive an impeller of a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, and wherein the impeller is coupled to the drive shaft.

[0018] In Example 14, a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device includes: a housing; a drive shaft disposed within the housing; a plurality of rotors, each of the plurality of rotors including a radially magnetized monopole pair magnetic ring having a rotor bore that defines a center through the magnetic ring, wherein the drive shaft extends through the rotor bore and wherein the rotors are fixed to the drive shaft; and a plurality of stators, each of the plurality of stators including a plurality of conductive windings and a stator bore, wherein the drive shaft extends through the stator bore, wherein the drive shaft is rotatable within the bore, and wherein each of the plurality of stators is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes at least one adjacent rotor of the plurality of rotors to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft.

[0019] In Example 15, the circulatory support device according to Example 14 further includes a controller operably coupled to the electric machine and configured to: enable the plurality of stators during a startup process; and deactivate one or more of the plurality of stators when it is determined that the electric machine has a specified operating condition.

[0020] In Example 16, an axial flux electric machine includes: a housing; a drive shaft disposed within the housing; at least one rotor including a radially magnetized monopole pair magnetic ring having a rotor bore that defines a center through the magnetic ring, wherein the drive shaft extends through the rotor bore and wherein the at least one rotor is fixed to the drive shaft; and at least one stator including a plurality of conductive windings and a stator bore, wherein the drive shaft extends through the stator bore, wherein the drive shaft is rotatable within the bore, and wherein the at least one stator is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes the at least one rotor to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft.

[0021] In Example 17, in the electric machine according to Example 16, the at least one stator includes a plurality of stators, and each of the plurality of stators is configured to cause at least one adjacent rotor to rotate.

[0022] In Example 18, for the electric machine according to Example 16, at least one stator includes a slotted stator core, wherein each of the plurality of conductive windings wraps around more than one slot of the stator core.

[0023] In Example 19, for the electric machine according to Example 16, wherein each of the windings is generally wedge-shaped, the winding having a first width at a first end adjacent to the drive shaft and a second width at a second end, wherein the second width is greater than the first width.

[0024] In Example 20, for the electric machine according to Example 16, further comprising: a first bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft; a second bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft such that at least one rotor and at least one stator are disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing; a first flux return disk disposed between the first bearing and at least one rotor and at least one stator; and a second flux return disk disposed between the second bearing and at least one rotor and at least one stator.

[0025] In Example 21, for the electric machine according to Example 20, wherein each of the first and second flux return disks is made of Hayn alloy.

[0026] In Example 22, for the electric machine according to Example 16, wherein each of the plurality of windings is printed on a printed circuit board or 3D printed.

[0027] In Example 23, for the electric machine according to Example 16, wherein the electric machine is configured to drive an impeller of a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, wherein the impeller is coupled to the drive shaft.

[0028] In Example 24, an axial flux electric machine, comprising: a housing; a drive shaft disposed within the housing; at least one rotor including a radially magnetized single pole pair magnetic ring having a rotor hole that defines a center through the magnetic ring, wherein the drive shaft extends through the rotor hole and wherein at least one rotor is fixed to the drive shaft; and at least one stator including a plurality of conductive windings and a stator hole, the plurality of conductive windings being arranged around the drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft extends through the stator hole, wherein the drive shaft is rotatable within the hole, wherein at least one stator does not include a stator core, and wherein at least one stator is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes at least one rotor to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft.

[0029] In Example 25, for the electric machine according to Example 24, wherein each of the plurality of conductive windings is coupled to an inner surface of the housing.

[0030] In Example 26, the electric machine according to Example 24, wherein each of the plurality of windings is generally wedge-shaped, the winding having a first width at a first end adjacent to the drive shaft and a second width at a second end, and wherein the second width is greater than the first width.

[0031] In Example 27, the electric machine according to Example 24, further comprising: a first bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft; a second bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft such that at least one rotor and at least one stator are disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing; a first HyMu flux return disk disposed between the first bearing and the at least one rotor and the at least one stator; and a second HyMu flux return disk disposed between the second bearing and the at least one rotor and the at least one stator.

[0032] In Example 28, the electric machine according to Example 24, wherein the electric machine is configured to drive an impeller of a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, the impeller being coupled to the drive shaft.

[0033] In Example 29, a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, comprising: a housing; a drive shaft disposed within the housing; a plurality of rotors, each of the plurality of rotors including a radially magnetized monopole pair magnetic ring having a rotor bore that defines a center through the magnetic ring, wherein the drive shaft extends through the rotor bore and wherein the rotor is fixed to the drive shaft; and a plurality of stators, each of the plurality of stators including a plurality of conductive windings and a stator bore, wherein the drive shaft extends through the stator bore, wherein the drive shaft is rotatable within the bore, and wherein each of the plurality of stators is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes at least one adjacent rotor of the plurality of rotors to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft.

[0034] In Example 30, the circulatory support device according to Example 29, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the electric machine and configured to: enable the plurality of stators during a startup process; and deactivate more than one of the plurality of rotors when it is determined that the electric machine has a specified operating condition.

[0035] In Example 31, the electric machine according to Example 29, further comprising: a first bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft; a second bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft such that the plurality of rotors and the plurality of stators are disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing; a first HyMu flux return disk disposed between the first bearing and the plurality of rotors and the plurality of stators; and a second HyMu flux return disk disposed between the second bearing and the plurality of rotors and the plurality of stators.

[0036] In Example 32, for the electric machine according to Example 29, the stator includes a slotted stator core, wherein each of the plurality of conductive windings is wound around more than one slot in the stator core.

[0037] In Example 33, for the electric machine according to Example 29, wherein the stator does not include a stator core, and wherein each of the plurality of conductive windings is coupled to the inner surface of the housing.

[0038] In Example 34, for the electric machine according to Example 29, wherein each of the windings is generally wedge-shaped, the winding having a first width at a first end adjacent to the drive shaft and a second width at a second end, wherein the second width is greater than the first width.

[0039] In Example 35, for the electric machine according to Example 29, wherein each of the plurality of windings is printed on a printed circuit board or 3D printed.

[0040] Although multiple embodiments are disclosed, other embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 A side cross-sectional view of an illustrative percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein;

[0042] Figure 2 A top view of an illustrative stator having a stator core is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein;

[0043] Figure 3 A side cross-sectional view of an illustrative percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein, wherein a stator without a stator core is provided;

[0044] Figure 4 A cross-sectional top view of an illustrative stator without a stator core is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein;

[0045] Figure 5 A perspective view of a portion of an axial flux electric machine in accordance with an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein, with its housing removed, showing an illustrative arrangement of a rotor and a stator;

[0046] Figure 6A and Figure 6B A schematic diagram showing an illustrative operation of components of an axial flux electric machine is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0047] Although the disclosed subject matter may be modified to various modified forms and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the figures and will be described in detail below. However, the intention is not to limit the subject matter disclosed herein to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, this disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative forms that fall within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein and as defined by the appended claims.

[0048] As used herein in connection with numerical values (e.g., terms: magnitude, measurement, and / or other qualitative and / or quantitative observations of degree with respect to a characteristic (e.g., size, measurement, property, component, etc.) of a tangible thing (e.g., product, inventory, etc.) and / or an intangible thing (e.g., data, electronic representation of currency, account, information, part of a thing (e.g., percentage, fraction), calculation, data model, dynamic system model, algorithm, parameter, etc.)) and / or ranges thereof, "about" and "substantially" may be used interchangeably to refer to a numerical value, configuration, orientation, and / or other feature; the numerical value, configuration, orientation, and / or other feature being equal to (or the same as) the recited numerical value, configuration, orientation, and / or other feature, or equal to (or the same as) a numerical value, configuration, orientation, and / or other feature reasonably close to the recited numerical value, configuration, orientation, and / or other feature, but differing by a reasonably small amount such as would be understood and readily determinable by a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art as attributable to: measurement error; differences in calibration of measurement and / or manufacturing equipment; human error in reading and / or setting measurements; adjustments made for optimizing performance and / or structural parameters in view of other measurements (e.g., measurements associated with other things); particular embodiments; imprecise adjustment and / or manipulation of things, settings, and / or measurements by a person, computing device, and / or machine; system tolerances; control loops; machine learning; foreseeable variations (e.g., statistically insignificant variations, chaotic variations, instability of systems and / or models, etc.); preferences; and the like.

[0049] The terms "upper", "upper portion", and "upward" and variations thereof are used throughout this disclosure for a distinct single purpose only, and are only intended to refer to a relevant direction (i.e., a particular direction that will be distinct from another direction), and are not intended to be construed as meaning an absolute direction. Similarly, the terms "lower", "lower portion", and "downward" and variations thereof are used throughout this disclosure for a distinct single purpose, and are only intended to refer to a relevant direction, i.e., at least substantially opposite to the direction or directions referred to by one or more of the terms "upper", "upper portion", and "upward" and variations thereof.

[0050] Although the term "block" may be used herein to denote various elements adopted illustratively, this term should not be construed as implying any requirement or specific order among the various blocks disclosed herein. Similarly, although illustrative methods may be represented by one or more drawings (e.g., flowcharts, communication flows, etc.), these drawings should not be construed as implying any requirement or specific order among the various steps disclosed herein. However, certain embodiments may require certain steps and / or a specific order among certain steps, as may be explicitly described herein and / or as may be understood based on the nature of the steps themselves (e.g., the performance of some steps may depend on the results of previous steps). Additionally, a "set", "subset", or "group" of items (e.g., inputs, algorithms, data values, etc.) may include one or more items, and similarly, a subset or subgroup of items may include one or more items. "Plurality" means more than one. Detailed Description

[0051] Due to the direction of the magnetic flux in each motor, axial flux motors are different from the more common radial flux motors. In a radial flux motor, the magnetic flux is generated radially along the sides of the motor, whereas in an axial flux motor, the magnetic flux is generated axially along the axial length of the motor. Axial flux motors can generally be made thinner and lighter with a higher torque-to-weight ratio compared to radial flux motors. The embodiments described herein include "multi-stage" axial flux motors in which multiple rotors and stators are stacked axially in order to increase torque in a limited outer diameter setting. Embodiments of the axial flux motors disclosed herein can also be customized by connecting rotor / stator pairs in series, in parallel, and / or in any number of combinations. This ability to arrange rotor / stator pairs in such a manner increases the redundancy of the motor and / or allows for the deactivation of one or more stators once the motor is operating, thereby conserving energy.

[0052] Figure 1 A side cross-sectional view of an illustrative percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device 100 in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein is shown. As shown, the circulatory support device 100 includes an axial flux motor 102 disposed within a housing 104. A controller 106 is operatively coupled to the motor 102 and configured to control the motor 102. In an embodiment, the controller 106 may be disposed within the housing 104, or in other embodiments, may be disposed external to the housing (e.g., disposed in a catheter handle, a separate housing, etc.). In an embodiment, the controller 106 may include multiple components, one or more of which may be disposed within the housing 104.

[0053] According to an embodiment, the controller 106 may be, may include, or may be included in one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more programmable logic devices (PLDs), one or more complex PLDs (CPLDs), one or more custom application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more dedicated processors (e.g., microprocessors), one or more central processing units (CPUs), software, hardware, firmware, or any combination of these and / or other components. Although the controller 106 is referred to herein in the singular, the controller 106 may be implemented in multiple instances, distributed across multiple computing devices, instantiated in multiple virtual machines, and so on.

[0054] The computing device may include any type of computing device suitable for implementing various aspects of the disclosed subject matter. Referring to the controller 106, examples of computing devices include dedicated or general-purpose computing devices such as "control units", "control components", "workstations", "servers", "handheld devices", "controllers", etc., all of which are contemplated within the Figure 1 scope.

[0055] In an embodiment, the computing device includes a bus that directly and / or indirectly couples the following devices: a processing unit, a memory, input / output (I / O) ports, I / O components, and a power supply. Any number of additional components, different components, and / or combinations of components may also be included in the computing device. The I / O components may include presentation components configured to present information to a user, such as, for example, a display device, a speaker, a printing device, etc.; and / or input components such as, for example, a microphone, a joystick, a satellite antenna, a scanner, a printing press, a wireless device, a keyboard, a pen, a voice input device, a touch input device, a touch screen device, an interactive display device, a mouse, and so on.

[0056] The bus is represented as being one or more buses (such as, for example, an address bus, a data bus, or a combination thereof). Similarly, in an embodiment, the computing device may include multiple processing units, multiple memory components, multiple I / O ports, multiple I / O components, and / or multiple power supplies. Additionally, any number of these components or combinations thereof may be distributed and / or replicated across multiple computing devices.

[0057] In an embodiment, the memory includes computer-readable media in the form of volatile and / or non-volatile memory; and can be removable, non-removable, or a combination thereof. Examples of media include random access memory (RAM); read-only memory (ROM); electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM); flash memory; optical or holographic media; magnetic cartridges, tapes, disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices; data transmissions; and / or any other media that can be used to store information and can be accessed by a computing device such as a quantum state memory, etc. In an embodiment, the memory stores computer-executable instructions for causing a processor to implement aspects of embodiments of the system components discussed herein and / or to execute aspects of embodiments of the methods and processes discussed herein.

[0058] The computer-executable instructions can include, for example, computer code, machine-usable instructions, etc., such as program components that can be executed by one or more processors associated with a computing device. The program components can be programmed using any number of different programming environments, which include various languages, development kits, frameworks, etc. Some or all of the functions contemplated herein can also or alternatively be implemented in hardware and / or firmware.

[0059] As Figure 1 shown, the motor 102 includes a drive shaft 108 that is at least partially disposed within a housing 104 and is configured to drive an impeller 110 coupled to the drive shaft 108 via rotation of the drive shaft 108. In an embodiment, the drive shaft 108 can be made of any number of different rigid materials, such as, for example, steel, titanium alloy, cobalt-chromium alloy, nitinol, high-strength ceramics, etc. According to an embodiment, although Figure 1 the motor 102 shown (and described in various embodiments throughout the present disclosure) is shown as being configured to drive the impeller of a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, embodiments of the motor 102 described herein can be configured to be used in implementations different from percutaneous mechanical circulatory support devices. For example, embodiments of the motors described herein can be implemented in dental tools, insulin pumps, vascular imaging devices, ultrasound probes, plaque removal devices, etc.

[0060] As Figure 1Further shown, the electric machine 102 includes a plurality of rotors 112 and a plurality of stators 114. Each stator 114 is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes one or more adjacent rotors 112 to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft 108. According to an embodiment, the electric machine 102 may include any combination of any number of rotors and stators. For example, the electric machine 102 may include one stator and two rotors, two stators and one rotor, two stators and two rotors, two stators and three rotors, and so on. In an embodiment, the stators and rotors may be grouped in pairs (e.g., each stator drives one rotor), grouped in groups of two or three adjacent (e.g., each stator drives one or two rotors), and so on. In an embodiment, the controller 106 may be configured to selectively enable any number of stators according to any number of different polarization patterns, and thereby drive the selected rotors in the selected direction.

[0061] In an embodiment, each of the rotors 112 includes a radially magnetized monopole pair magnetic ring 116 having a rotor bore 118 that defines a center through the magnetic ring 116. The monopole pair magnetic ring is a magnetic ring having a monopole pair, i.e., having a pair of poles (e.g., a north pole and a south pole). According to an embodiment, the rotor may include a plurality of pole pairs, a Halbach array, and so on. The drive shaft 108 extends through the rotor bore 118, and each of the rotors 112 is fixed to the drive shaft 108. According to an embodiment, each rotor may have a diameter between about 3 millimeters (mm) and about 4 mm, and may have a thickness between about 0.5 mm and about 1.5 mm. In an embodiment including a transcutaneous implementation, the rotor may have a diameter between about 1 mm and about 8 mm, and a thickness between about 0.25 mm and about 5 mm. In an embodiment, the rotor may have a diameter between about 0.5 mm and about 20 mm, and a thickness between about 0.1 mm and about 8 mm. Each rotor may be formed of any number of different types of magnetic materials, such as, for example, rare earth magnetic materials (e.g., neodymium, samarium cobalt, etc.), ferrite magnets, and so on. According to an embodiment, the rotor may be just an annular magnet, and in other embodiments, the rotor may include a magnet mounted on an alloy core (e.g., a Hiperco alloy core).

[0062] According to an embodiment, each stator 114 includes a plurality of conductive windings 120 and stator bores 122. A drive shaft 108 extends through each stator bore 122 and is rotatable within each bore 122. Each stator 114 is coupled to an inner surface 124 of the housing 104 and is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes at least one adjacent rotor 112 to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft 108. According to an embodiment, the windings of the stator are energized in sequence to create an electromagnet. In an embodiment, the windings may include any number of different types of electrical wire materials, such as, for example, copper magnetic wire, silver-coated copper wire, gold wire, aluminum wire, copper-clad steel wire, graphene wire, and the like. In an embodiment, the wire may be any number of different sizes. An exemplary but non-limiting wire size may be 36 AWG.

[0063] According to an embodiment, the windings 120 may be configured according to any number of different shapes, sizes, etc. The windings 120 may be attached to a stator core and / or other windings to form a stator. For example, in an embodiment, the windings may be deposited in slots of a stator core, wound around posts on a stator core, and the like. In an embodiment, the stator may be a printed circuit board with the windings printed thereon. The windings printed on the circuit board may be printed in any number of different patterns, sizes, depths, etc. In an embodiment, the windings may be printed using a three-dimensional (3D) printer. Any number of different manufacturing techniques may be used to form the windings.

[0064] As indicated above, the windings 120 may be configured according to any number of different shapes. For example, each winding of the stator may be generally wedge-shaped to maximize the usable volume of the windings in a cylindrical motor housing. Figure 2 A top view of an exemplary stator 200 is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein. According to an embodiment, the stator 200 may be or may be similar to Figure 1 any one or more of the stators 114 shown. As shown, the stator 200 includes a stator core 202, which may be made of an alloy such as, for example, Haynes alloy. The stator core 202 may include a stator bore 204 through which a drive shaft 206 is rotatably disposed. According to an embodiment, the stator core 202 may include a diameter between approximately 3 mm and approximately 4 mm and may include a thickness between approximately 2 mm and approximately 3 mm (e.g., in the axial dimension). In an embodiment, the stator core 202 may include a diameter between approximately 1 mm and approximately 8 mm and may include a thickness between approximately 0.25 mm and approximately 5 mm (e.g., in the axial dimension). In an embodiment, the stator core 202 may have a diameter between approximately 0.5 mm and approximately 20 mm and a thickness between approximately 0.1 mm and approximately 8 mm.

[0065] The stator core 202 may further include slots 208; thereby forming teeth 210 around which the windings 212 may be wound. In an embodiment, the stator core 202 may be slotless, in which case the windings 212 may be wound along the surface 214 of the stator core 202. As Figure 2 shown, each of the windings 212 disposed in the slotted stator core 202 may be generally wedge-shaped. That is, each winding 212 may have a first width 216 at a first end (adjacent to the drive shaft 206) and a second width 218 at a second end (adjacent to the inner surface (not shown) of the motor housing), where the second width 218 is wider than the first width 216. According to an embodiment, each winding 212 may be wound such that the upper end 220 of the winding is substantially flush with the upper surface 222 of the tooth 210 around which it is wound. In an embodiment, the upper surface 224 of the outer edge 226 of the stator core 202 may also be substantially flush with the upper end 220 of the winding 212 and the upper surface 222 of the tooth 210.

[0066] Continuing to refer Figure 1 to, the motor 102 may further include a first bearing 126 and a second bearing 128. The first bearing 126 may be rotatably coupled to the drive shaft 108, and the second bearing 128 may be rotatably coupled to the drive shaft 108 such that the rotor 112 and the stator 114 are disposed between the first bearing 126 and the second bearing 128. The first bearing 126 and the second bearing 128 may be any type of bearing, such as, for example, a ball bearing, a journal bearing, etc. For example, in an embodiment, the first bearing 126 may be a ball bearing, while the second bearing 128 is a journal bearing. In other embodiments, the first bearing 126 may be a journal bearing, while the second bearing 128 is a ball bearing. In other embodiments, both the bearings 126 and 128 may be ball bearings or journal bearings. According to an embodiment, the outer diameters of the bearings 126 and 128 are configured such that the bearings may be coupled to the inner surface 124 of the housing 104, thereby allowing the drive shaft 108 to rotate within the housing 104.

[0067] As Figure 1Further shown, the electric machine 102 may also include a first flux return disk 130 disposed between the first bearing 126 and the rotor 112 and the stator 114; and a second flux return disk 132 may be disposed between the second bearing 128 and the rotor 112 and the stator 114. The flux return disks 130 and 132 may be made of any ferromagnetic material, may be used to redirect magnetic flux, and thus, in embodiments, may be configured to protect adjacent bearings from magnetic interactions and to configure to gather magnetic field lines passing through adjacent rotors and / or stators, thereby facilitating an increase in the power and efficiency of the electric machine 102. In an embodiment, for example, each of the flux return disks 130 and 132 may be made of Haynical alloy, made of any number of different types of steel, iron, etc. In an embodiment, each of the flux return disks 130 and 132 may have an outer diameter that is approximately equal to the outer diameters of the bearings 126 and 128 and the stator 114.

[0068] Figure 1 The illustrated exemplary circulatory support device 100 and electric machine 102, and Figure 2 The illustrated exemplary stator 200 is not intended to represent any limitation as to the use or functional scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The exemplary circulatory support device 100, electric machine 102, and stator 200 should also not be construed as having any dependence or requirement with respect to any single component or combination of components shown therein. For example, some embodiments may not include flux return disks, while other embodiments may include one or more flux return disks, depending on magnet type, size constraints, motor construction, presence of lamination stacks, motor housing material, etc. Additionally, in embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The various components shown may be integrated with each of the other components shown (and / or components not shown), and all components are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] According to an embodiment, an axial flux electric machine may include a stator without a stator core. In such embodiments, the windings are arranged with a similar material, but they are fixed to the motor housing. In an embodiment, the outer diameter of the windings may be slightly larger compared to the windings provided in a stator having a stator core, since they are wound around the inner surface of the motor housing connected. For example, the total diameter of the stator without a stator core may be between approximately 4 mm and 4.5 mm.

[0070] Figure 3 A side cross-sectional view of an exemplary percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device 300 is shown according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein, where a stator without a stator core is provided. According to an embodiment, different from the construction of the stator, the circulatory support device 300, the electric machine 302, and / or any of its components may be associated with Figure 1The corresponding components shown are the same or similar. As shown, the circulatory support device 300 includes an axial flux motor 302 disposed within a housing 304. A controller 306 is operably coupled to the motor 302 and configured to control the motor 302. In an embodiment, the controller 306 may be disposed within the housing 304, or in other embodiments, may be disposed outside the housing (e.g., disposed within a catheter handle, a separate housing, etc.). In an embodiment, the controller 306 may include multiple components, one or more of which may be disposed within the housing 304.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the controller 306 may be, may include, or may be included in one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more programmable logic devices (PLDs), one or more complex PLDs (CPLDs), one or more custom application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more dedicated processors (e.g., microprocessors), one or more central processing units (CPUs), software, hardware, firmware, or any combination of these and / or other components. Although the controller 306 is referred to herein in the singular, the controller 306 may be implemented in multiple instances, distributed among multiple computing devices, instantiated in multiple virtual machines, and so on.

[0072] As Figure 3 shown, the motor 302 includes a drive shaft 308 that is at least partially disposed within the housing 304 and is configured to drive an impeller 310 coupled to the drive shaft 308 via rotation of the drive shaft 308. According to an embodiment, although Figure 3 the motor 302 shown (and described in various embodiments throughout the present disclosure) is shown as being configured to drive an impeller of a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, embodiments of the motor 302 described herein may be configured for use in implementations different from percutaneous mechanical circulatory support devices. For example, embodiments of the motors described herein may be implemented in dental tools, insulin pumps, interventional cardiology devices, ultrasound probes, and the like.

[0073] As Figure 3Further shown, the electric motor 302 includes a plurality of rotors 312 and a plurality of stators 314. Each stator is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes one or more adjacent rotors to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft. According to an embodiment, the electric motor 302 may include any number of stators and rotors. For example, the electric motor 302 may include one stator and two rotors, two stators and one rotor, two stators and two rotors, two stators and three rotors, and so on. In an embodiment, the stators and rotors may be grouped in pairs (e.g., each stator drives one rotor), grouped in groups of two or three adjacent (e.g., each stator drives one or two rotors), and so on. In an embodiment, the controller 306 may be configured to selectively enable any number of stators according to any number of different polarization patterns, and thereby drive the selected rotors in the selected direction.

[0074] Each of the rotors 312 includes a radially magnetized monopole pair magnetic ring 316 having a rotor bore 318 that defines a center through the magnetic ring 316. The drive shaft 308 extends through the rotor bore 318, and each of the rotors 312 is fixed to the drive shaft 308. According to an embodiment, each rotor may have a diameter between about 3 millimeters (mm) and about 4 mm, and may have a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. Each rotor may be formed of any number of different types of magnetic materials, such as, for example, neodymium. According to an embodiment, the rotor may be just a ring magnet, while in other embodiments, the rotor may include a magnet mounted on an alloy core (e.g., a Haynes alloy core).

[0075] According to an embodiment, each stator 314 includes a plurality of conductive windings 320 and a stator bore 322. The drive shaft 308 extends through each stator bore 322 and is rotatable within each bore 322. Each stator 314 is coupled to the inner surface 324 of the housing 304 and is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes at least one adjacent rotor 312 to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft 308. According to an embodiment, the windings of the stator are energized successively to produce an electromagnet. In an embodiment, the windings may include any number of different types of wire, such as, for example, 36 AWG copper magnet wire.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the windings may be configured in any number of different shapes. For example, each winding of the stator may be generally wedge-shaped to maximize the available volume of the windings in a cylindrical motor housing. Figure 4 A cross-sectional top view of an exemplary stator 400 is shown according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein. According to an embodiment, the stator 400 may be or may be similar to Figure 3Any one or more of the stators 314 shown. As shown, the stator 400 includes a winding 402, which may be generally wedge-shaped and disposed around a stator bore 404, and a drive shaft 406 configured to rotate within the stator bore 404. That is, each winding 402 may have a first width 408 at a first end (adjacent to the drive shaft 406) and a second width 410 at a second end (adjacent to the inner surface of the motor housing (not shown)), where the second width 410 is wider than the first width 408. At least a portion of the outer edge 412 of each winding 402 may be configured to couple to the inner surface of the motor housing.

[0077] Continuing to refer Figure 3 , the motor 302 may further include a first bearing 326 and a second bearing 328, the first bearing 326 rotatably coupled to the drive shaft 308, the second bearing 328 rotatably coupled to the drive shaft 308; such that the rotor and stator are disposed between the first bearing 326 and the second bearing 328. The first bearing 326 and the second bearing 328 may be any type of bearing, such as, for example, a ball bearing, a journal bearing, etc. For example, in an embodiment, the first bearing 326 may be a ball bearing, while the second bearing 328 is a journal bearing. In other embodiments, the first bearing 326 may be a journal bearing, while the second bearing 328 is a ball bearing. In other embodiments, both bearings 326 and 328 may be ball bearings or journal bearings. According to an embodiment, the outer diameters of the bearings 326 and 328 are configured such that the bearings can be coupled to the inner surface 324 of the housing 304, thereby allowing the drive shaft 308 to rotate within the housing 304.

[0078] As Figure 3 Further shown, the motor 302 may further include a first flux return disk 330 disposed between the first bearing 326 and the rotor and the stator; and a second flux return disk 332 may be disposed between the second bearing 328 and the rotor and the stator. The flux return disks may be made of any material, configured to protect adjacent bearings from magnetic interactions, and configured to concentrate magnetic field lines passing through adjacent rotors and / or stators, thereby facilitating an increase in the power and efficiency of the motor 302. In an embodiment, for example, each flux return disk 330 and 332 may be made of a Haynes alloy and may have an outer diameter approximately equal to the outer diameters of the bearings 326 and 328 and the stator 314.

[0079] Figure 3 The exemplary cyclic support device 300 and motor 302 shown and Figure 4 The exemplary stator 400 shown is not intended to represent any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The exemplary cyclic support device 300, motor 302, and stator 400 should also not be construed as having any dependence or requirement on any single component or combination of components shown therein. Additionally, in an embodiment,Figure 3 and Figure 4 The various components shown may be integrated with each of the other components shown (and / or components not shown), and all components are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0080] Figure 5 FIG. is a perspective view of a portion of an axial flux motor 500 according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein, with its housing removed, showing an exemplary arrangement of a rotor and a stator. According to an embodiment, the exemplary motor 500 may be, may be similar to, or may include Figure 1 the motor 102 shown, and / or Figure 3 the motor 302 shown. As shown, the motor 500 includes three rotor / stator pairs 502, 504, and 506, each including a rotor 508, 512, and 516 and a stator 510, 514, and 518, respectively. A drive shaft 520 extends through all of the rotors and stators and is rotatably supported by a pair of bearings 522 and 524. According to an embodiment, the motor 500 may include a flux return disk (not shown) disposed between each of the bearings 522 and 524 and the rotor / stator pairs.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the motor 500 may be configured to include any number of rotor / stator pairs. In an embodiment, the motor 500 may be dynamically configurable such that, for example, if additional power is required for a particular application, additional rotor / stator pairs may be added. Additionally, in an embodiment, although the motor 500 is shown as having stators without stator cores, one or more of the stators may include stator cores.

[0082] Figure 5 The exemplary motor 500 shown is not intended to represent any limitation as to the use or functional scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The exemplary motor 500 should also not be construed as having any dependence or requirement with respect to any single component or combination of components shown therein. Additionally, in an embodiment, Figure 5 the various components shown may be integrated with each of the other components shown (and / or components not shown), and all components are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0083] Figure 6A and Figure 6B is a schematic diagram according to an embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein, showing an exemplary operation of components of an axial flux motor. The axial flux motor may be, may be similar to, may include, or may be included in Figure 1 the axial flux motor 102 shown, Figure 3 the axial flux motor 302 shown, and / or Figure 5 the axial flux motor 502 shown. Figure 6ASchematic diagram of an exemplary stator 600, the stator 600 having a first winding 602, a second winding 604, a third winding 606, a fourth winding 608, a fifth winding 610, and a sixth winding 612 disposed around a drive shaft 614. According to an embodiment, a controller (e.g., Figure 1 the controller 106 shown or Figure 3 the controller 306 shown) may be operably coupled to the stator 600, as well as any other stator of the motor.

[0084] In an embodiment, the controller may be configured to enable all stators during a startup process; then deactivate one or more of the stators when it is determined that the motor has a specified operating condition (e.g., a specified torque amount, a specified angular velocity, etc.). In this way, the controller may be configured to facilitate energy savings by enabling only the number and arrangement of stators necessary for generating the torque amount required to perform the specified operation. Additionally or alternatively, the controller may be configured to enable certain stators and / or stator combinations to provide a specified torque amount at a specified position along the drive shaft, and so on.

[0085] According to an embodiment, for a given stator (e.g., Figure 6A the stator 600 shown), the windings may be paired as shown. That is, for example, the first winding 602 may be paired with the fourth winding 608 to form a first pair (labeled "A"), the second winding 604 may be paired with the fifth winding 610 to form a second pair (labeled "B"), and the third winding 606 may be paired with the sixth winding 612 to form a third pair (labeled "C"). The windings of each pair may be polarized relative to each other in sequence (e.g., one winding is polarized to a north pole (N) while the other is polarized to a south pole (S) approximately simultaneously) to cause one or more adjacent rotors to rotate.

[0086] For example, according to an embodiment, to generate torque, the winding pairs are turned on in a specified order, thereby creating an electromagnet that attaches to a permanent magnet in the rotor 614 ( Figure 6B shown), thereby causing the rotor 614 to rotate. Examples of sequences may include, for example, starting with winding pair A off while winding pairs B and C are on, causing windings 604 and 606 to be polarized to S and windings 610 and 612 to be polarized to N, thereby causing the rotor 614 to rotate, as shown. Next, winding pair B may be turned off while winding pair C remains on and winding pair A is turned on, such that windings 602 and 612 are polarized to N while windings 606 and 608 are polarized to S. According to an embodiment, any number of different sequences and / or patterns of turning windings off and on to polarize various aspects of the stator 600 may be employed to help rotate the rotor 614 in the desired direction with the desired torque amount.

[0087] Figure 6A and Figure 6BThe exemplary operations shown are not intended to represent any limitation as to the use or functionality scope of embodiments of the present disclosure. Nor should the exemplary operations be construed as having any dependency or requirement regarding any single component or combination of components shown therein. Additionally, in an embodiment, Figure 6A and Figure 6B the various components shown may be integrated with each of the other components shown therein (and / or components not shown), and all components are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0088] Various modifications and additions may be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to specific features, the scope of the present disclosure also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover all such alternative forms, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the claims, as well as all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An axial flux motor, comprising: a housing; a drive shaft disposed within the housing; an impeller of a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, the impeller being coupled to the drive shaft and configured to be driven by the drive shaft; at least one rotor having a diameter of 0.5 mm to 20 mm, the at least one rotor including a radially magnetized monopole pair magnetic ring having a rotor hole that defines a center through the magnetic ring, wherein the drive shaft extends through the rotor hole, and wherein the at least one rotor is fixed to the drive shaft; and at least one stator including a plurality of conductive windings and a stator hole, wherein the drive shaft extends through the stator hole, wherein the drive shaft is rotatable within the hole, and wherein the at least one stator is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes the at least one rotor to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft and the impeller; the rotor and the stator are axially stacked; a first bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft; and a second bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft such that the at least one rotor and the at least one stator are disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing.

2. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stator includes a plurality of stators, each of the plurality of stators being configured to cause at least one adjacent rotor to rotate.

3. The motor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one stator includes a slotted stator core, each of the plurality of conductive windings being wound around more than one slot of the stator core.

4. The motor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the windings is generally wedge-shaped, the winding having a first width at a first end adjacent to the drive shaft and a second width at a second end, wherein the second width is greater than the first width.

5. The motor according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a first flux return disk disposed between the first bearing and the at least one rotor and the at least one stator; and a second flux return disk disposed between the second bearing and the at least one rotor and the at least one stator.

6. The motor according to claim 5, wherein each of the first and second flux return disks is made of Haynco alloy.

7. The motor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the plurality of windings is printed on a printed circuit board or 3D printed.

8. An axial flux motor, comprising: a housing; a drive shaft disposed within the housing; an impeller of a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, the impeller being coupled to the drive shaft and configured to be driven by the drive shaft; At least one rotor having a diameter of from 0.5 mm to 20 mm, said at least one rotor including a radially magnetized monopole pair magnetic ring having a rotor bore that defines a center through the magnetic ring, wherein the drive shaft extends through the rotor bore and wherein the at least one rotor is fixed to the drive shaft; and At least one stator including a plurality of conductive windings arranged around the drive shaft and a stator bore, wherein the drive shaft extends through the stator bore, wherein the drive shaft is rotatable within the bore, wherein the at least one stator does not include a stator core, and wherein the at least one stator is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes the at least one rotor to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft and the impeller; The rotor and the stator are axially stacked; A first bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft; and A second bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft such that the at least one rotor and the at least one stator are disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing.

9. The electric machine according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of conductive windings is coupled to an inner surface of the housing and wherein each of the plurality of windings is generally wedge-shaped, the winding having a first width at a first end adjacent to the drive shaft and a second width at a second end, and wherein the second width is greater than the first width.

10. The electric machine according to claim 8 or 9, wherein each of the plurality of windings is 3D printed.

11. The electric machine according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising: A first Hiperco flux return disk disposed between the first bearing and the at least one rotor and the at least one stator; and A second Hiperco flux return disk disposed between the second bearing and the at least one rotor and the at least one stator.

12. A percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device, comprising: A housing; An electric machine disposed within the housing, the electric machine including: A drive shaft disposed within the housing; An impeller of the percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device coupled to the drive shaft and configured to be driven by the drive shaft; A plurality of rotors, each of the plurality of rotors having the same diameter of from 0.5 mm to 20 mm, each of the plurality of rotors including a radially magnetized monopole pair magnetic ring having a rotor bore that defines a center through the magnetic ring, wherein the drive shaft extends through the rotor bore and wherein the rotor is fixed to the drive shaft; and A plurality of stators, each of the plurality of stators including a plurality of conductive windings and a stator bore, wherein the drive shaft extends through the stator bore, the drive shaft being rotatable within the bore, and wherein each of the plurality of stators is configured to generate an axial magnetic field that causes at least one adjacent rotor of the plurality of rotors to rotate, thereby rotating the drive shaft; The rotor and the stator are axially stacked; A first bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft; and A second bearing rotatably coupled to the drive shaft such that the at least one rotor and the at least one stator are disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing.

13. The circulating support device according to claim 12, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the electric machine and configured to: Enable the plurality of stators during a startup process; and Disable more than one of the plurality of stators when it is determined that the electric machine has a specified operating condition.

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