Blood pump with reinforced catheter

Abstract

To provide an intravascular blood pump for percutaneous insertion into a patient's vessel having a catheter which can be prevented from kinking, whereby the stiffness of the catheter can be adjusted.SOLUTION: An intravascular blood pump comprises a catheter (10) and a pumping device (1) attached to the catheter (10). The catheter (10) extends along a longitudinal axis and has a distal end (11) and a proximal end (12) opposite the distal end (11). The catheter (10) comprises a tubular stiffening structure (15) extending longitudinally between the proximal end (12) and the distal end (11) of the catheter (10). The tubular stiffening structure (15) has a lumen (21) and a proximal end (17) and a closed distal end (16) opposite the proximal end (17), wherein the lumen (21) of the stiffening structure (15) is configured to receive a pressurized fluid having an over-pressure of at least 5 bar.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an intravascular blood pump for percutaneous insertion into a patient's blood vessel, comprising a catheter and a pumping device attached to the distal end of the catheter. [Background technology]

[0002] A blood pump for percutaneous insertion is designed to support a patient's heart and is inserted into the patient's heart through a blood vessel, such as the aorta or femoral artery, by a catheter through a vascular access in the patient's skin, i.e. percutaneously. An intravascular blood pump for percutaneous insertion typically comprises a catheter and a pumping device attached to the catheter. The catheter may extend from a distal end to a proximal end along a longitudinal axis, and the pumping device is attached to the catheter at the end remote from an operator, such as a surgeon. The pumping device may be inserted into the left ventricle of the patient's heart by the catheter, for example, through the femoral artery and the aorta. A blood pump placed inside the patient's heart may also be called an intracardiac blood pump.

[0003] While relatively stiff catheters have less risk of kinking, soft catheters better conform to the shape of blood vessels such as the aorta, especially the aortic arch. However, soft catheters are prone to kinking, especially during catheter insertion, due to their low stiffness. If the catheter kinks, this creates a weakened spot on the catheter, making it more likely to kink again at the same spot. This can be particularly problematic during the operation of a blood pump. For example, the blood pump may be pushed out of the heart and back into the aorta, which can cause kinking of the catheter, especially if the catheter was already kinked during insertion. This can result in severe kinking at the weakened spot, which in turn causes kinking of structures inside the catheter, such as the purge line that supplies the purge fluid to the pumping device. The purge line can block and the blood pump can fail due to increased purge pressure or even complete blockage of the purge line.

[0004] Attempts have been made to reinforce or stiffen the catheter, but the resulting stiffness may not be desirable. Other attempts have been made to reinforce only the purge lines, for example, but this may increase the complexity of the structure and result in higher costs. Alternatively, it would be desirable to be able to adjust the stiffness of the catheter. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an intravascular blood pump for percutaneous insertion into a patient's blood vessel having a catheter that is capable of preventing kinking, thereby allowing the stiffness of the catheter to be adjusted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This object is achieved according to the invention by a blood pump for percutaneous insertion having the features of independent claim 1. Preferred embodiments and further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. Throughout this disclosure, the term "distal" refers to a direction away from the user towards the heart and the term "proximal" refers to a direction towards the user.

[0007] According to the invention, an intravascular blood pump catheter for percutaneous insertion includes a tubular stiffening structure extending longitudinally between a proximal end and a distal end of the catheter. The tubular stiffening structure has a lumen, a proximal end, and a closed distal end opposite the proximal end. The lumen of the stiffening structure is configured to receive a pressurized fluid having an overpressure of at least 5 bar. The closed distal end allows the lumen to receive and hold the pressurized fluid such that the stiffness of the stiffening structure can be adjusted. The stiffening structure can have a predetermined stiffness with no pressurized fluid received within the lumen, and can have its stiffness increased by inserting a fluid and increasing the pressure within the fluid.

[0008] The tubular stiffening structure allows for the adjustment of its bending stiffness by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the pressurized fluid inside the lumen of the tubular stiffening structure. The pressurized fluid can be inserted from the proximal end and is prevented from exiting the tubular stiffening structure due to the closed distal end. For example, the pressurized fluid can be inserted into the lumen of the tubular stiffening structure at high pressure and held inside the lumen during insertion of the catheter into the patient's blood vessel, where the catheter should have high bending stiffness. Once the catheter is inserted to a desired amount, the pressure can be released, resulting in a decrease in bending stiffness and allowing the catheter to better conform to the shape of the blood vessel. The user can adjust the bending stiffness by adjusting the pressure of the pressurized fluid at any time depending on the application and demand.

[0009] The stiffening structure prevents the catheter from kinking, while at the same time providing sufficient flexibility to allow bending so that the catheter can be directed through a blood vessel, such as the aorta. In particular, kinking can be prevented during insertion of a blood pump, where the surgeon / cardiologist pushes the catheter through a blood vessel. Weakened places on the catheter are avoided so that there is less risk of kinking of the catheter during operation of the blood pump. Nevertheless, in the unlikely event that the catheter is kinked during the procedure, the catheter can flex back and recover its shape over time. In particular, since kinking is a plastic deformation of the catheter, i.e. an irreversible deformation, whereas bending is an elastic deformation that allows the catheter to return to its initial shape, the stiffening structure preferably allows the catheter to deform elastically with a bending radius of 10 mm or less without plastic deformation. The bending radius is measured relative to the central axis of the catheter.

[0010] For example, the stiffness of the catheter can be increased during insertion of the catheter to facilitate insertion and avoid kinking of the catheter during insertion, and can be decreased during operation of the blood pump to allow the catheter to adapt to the shape of the blood vessel. Preferably, the lumen of the stiffening structure is configured to receive a pressurized fluid having an overpressure of 5 bar to 150 bar, for example 75 bar. More specifically, the lumen of the stiffening structure can be configured to receive a pressurized fluid having an overpressure of at least 5 bar, at least 10 bar, at least 20 bar, or at least 30 bar, or even higher pressures of at least 50 bar, at least 85 bar, or at least 100 bar, up to 150 bar, to achieve the desired stiffness.

[0011] The stiffening structure can be configured to remain in the catheter during operation of the blood pump to support the catheter and prevent kinking during the entire procedure and during operation of the blood pump. This can be advantageous in applications where the movement of the heart or the pumping action of the blood pump tend to push the blood pump out of the heart during operation of the blood pump. In applications where there is no or less tendency to push the blood pump out of the heart, the stiffening structure can be configured to be removed from the catheter after placement of the blood pump in the patient's body. This allows the catheter to be more flexible during operation of the blood pump and allows the catheter to better conform to the shape of the respective blood vessel, such as the aorta. This reduces contact between the inner wall of the vessel and the catheter and can also reduce the force with which the pump may push against the valve structure.

[0012] A typical length of a catheter for percutaneous insertion via femoral access (arterial or venous) to a patient's heart can be 100 cm to 150 cm. The stiffening structure can also have a length of 100 cm to 150 cm. The catheter and stiffening structure can have a length of 25 cm to 50 cm if the catheter is designed to be inserted into the left ventricle via the subclavian or axillary artery, or into the right ventricle via the jugular vein.

[0013] The catheter may have a lumen extending through the catheter from the proximal end to the distal end. The stiffening structure is preferably disposed inside the lumen of the catheter. Thus, a common catheter may be used and provided with the stiffening structure by inserting the stiffening structure through the catheter lumen. Preferably, the stiffening structure is substantially free-floating or loose, i.e., not fixed inside the lumen of the catheter. In particular, the distal end of the stiffening structure may be free, i.e., not attached or interlocked with other parts of the blood pump, e.g., the pumping device. This increases the flexibility of the catheter, while at the same time effectively preventing kinking of the catheter, since the stiffening structure can move and slide inside the catheter lumen as the catheter bends to follow the shape of the blood vessel. This has the further advantage that the flexibility of the catheter may have an isotropic behavior, i.e., the flexibility may be the same in any bending direction, due to the stiffening structure not being fixedly attached to one side of the catheter.

[0014] Alternatively, the stiffening structure may be housed or embedded in the wall of the catheter, or may be disposed on the exterior surface of the catheter without insertion into the lumen of the catheter. The stiffening structure may be fixed at least in the radial direction. The stiffening structure may be axially movable, such as axially slidable along the length of the catheter, for example, as the catheter bends. For example, the stiffening structure may be fixed to the exterior surface of the catheter by any suitable attachment, such as rings, loops, eyelets, etc. Alternatively, the stiffening structure may be fixed to the exterior surface of the catheter along its entire length.

[0015] The stiffening structure may comprise or be made of a shape memory material, preferably a shape memory alloy, such as Nitinol, preferably with superelastic properties. The material may alternatively comprise a polymeric material, which may also have shape memory properties. The shape memory material has temperature-dependent and temperature-independent properties. Shape memory is a temperature-dependent property that allows the shape memory material to undergo deformation at a certain temperature and then recover to its original undeformed shape when heated above the "deformation temperature". The temperature change causes a transformation between the martensite and austenite phases of the material. Superelasticity is a temperature-independent property that allows the shape memory material to undergo a mechanical deformation due to an external force applied to the shape memory material and then recover to its original undeformed shape when the external force is released. Superelasticity, also referred to as pseudoelasticity, is caused by a transformation between the martensite and austenite phases that occurs due to an external load. As a result, these materials can reversibly deform to very high strains. It will be understood that other materials are possible, as long as they are suitable for holding a pressurized fluid within the lumen of the tubular stiffening structure.

[0016] The stiffening structure may also be braided. More particularly, when the stiffening structure includes at least three tubes, the tubes may be braided to form a substantially solid braid, or a braided tube, i.e., a hollow tubular body. The stiffening structure may include at least two tubes twisted together.

[0017] In one embodiment, the system comprises a blood pump as described above and a pressure source connected to the proximal end of the stiffening structure and configured to supply pressurized fluid to the lumen of the stiffening structure. The system may further comprise a controller configured to regulate the pressure of the pressurized fluid, particularly in the ranges mentioned above. The fluid is preferably a high viscosity biocompatible fluid such as glycerin, silicone oil or gel, or saline. High viscosity fluids are preferred as they are less likely to leak out of the tubular stiffening structure than low viscosity fluids.

[0018] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustrating the disclosure, reference is made to the drawings. However, the scope of the disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a patient's heart with a blood pump inserted into the left ventricle through the aorta. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a catheter of the blood pump of FIG. 1 having a stiffening structure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a catheter having a stiffening structure according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a catheter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] In FIG. 1, a blood pump is shown to be inserted into a patient's heart H. More specifically, the blood pump comprises a pumping device 1 attached to a catheter 10 by which the pumping device 1 is inserted into the left ventricle LV of the patient's heart H via the aorta AO, including the descending aorta DA and the aortic arch AA. The catheter 10 has a distal end 11 and a proximal end 12. The blood pump has a blood flow outlet 3 disposed outside the patient's heart H in the aorta AO, while the blood flow inlet 2 is in fluid communication with a flow cannula 4 located inside the left ventricle LV. An impeller (not shown) is provided in the pumping device 1 to generate blood flow from the blood flow inlet 2 to the blood flow outlet 3. At the distal end of the blood pump, a soft tip 5, such as a pigtail or J-tip, is disposed to facilitate the insertion of the blood pump into the patient's heart H without causing damage to the surrounding tissue. The soft tip 5 also helps to keep soft tissue away from the blood inlet 2 and support the pumping device 1 against the inner wall of the left ventricle LV.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a catheter 10 of the blood pump of FIG. 1. The catheter 10 extends from a distal end 12 to a proximal end 11 and has a lumen 13 extending therethrough. The pumping device 1 attached to the distal end 11 of the catheter 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is not shown in FIG. 2. The lumen 13 of the catheter 10 is defined by a wall 14 of the catheter 10, which wall 14 may have a wall thickness of about 0.1 mm to 1 mm, for example 0.5 mm. The catheter 10 may have an outer diameter of 2 mm to 4 mm, for example about 3 mm (corresponding to a 9 French dimension). Thus, the inner diameter of the catheter may be, for example, about 2 mm (corresponding to a 7 French dimension). A tubular stiffening structure 15 is disposed within the catheter lumen 13 and extends from the distal end 16 to the proximal end 17. The tubular stiffening structure 15 extends continuously through the catheter 10 from the distal end 11 of the catheter to its proximal end 12. Other structures that may extend through catheter 10, such as purge lines or electrical wires, are omitted from FIG. 2 for clarity.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the catheter 10. A tubular stiffening structure 15 is disposed inside the catheter lumen 13 together with a purge fluid line 18 for supplying purge fluid to the pumping device 1, and an electrical wire 19 for supplying power to the pumping device 1. The stiffening structure 15 is particularly useful to prevent the purge line 18 from kinking, which would block the purge line 18 and lead to failure of the blood pump due to excessively high purge pressure or cut-off of lubrication. It will be understood that more than one, for example two or three tubes, may be provided. One or more tubes may be formed identically in terms of size and shape, or may have different sizes and shapes. The tubular stiffening structure 15 preferably comprises a shape memory material, such as Nitinol. However, other materials, such as polymeric materials with or without shape memory properties, may also be used. The tube 15 may be braided. More particularly, the stiffening structure 15 can include at least two, and preferably three or more, tubes 15 that are twisted or preferably braided together to form, for example, a substantially solid twisted or braided cord, or a braided hollow tubular member.

[0023] The tube 15 provides a variable kink resistance, as described in more detail below, to prevent the catheter 10 from kinking while allowing the catheter 10 to bend to conform to the shape of a blood vessel, such as the aorta AO, and particularly the aortic arch AA. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the tube 15 is substantially free-floating within the lumen 13 of the catheter 10, i.e., loose and not fixed inside the catheter 10. This allows the tube 15 to follow a slightly different radius of curvature than the catheter 10 while moving inside the catheter lumen 13. The tube 15 is also allowed to slide, particularly axially, inside the lumen 13, which may be advantageous for the flexibility of the catheter 10. The distal end 16 of the tube 15 is free, and in particular is not attached to the pumping device 1 or any part of the pumping device 1. At least the distal end 16 of the tube 15 may be protected or wrapped with a soft tip to avoid penetrating into the catheter 10 or other adjacent structures.

[0024] As also shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, a pressure source 20 having a control unit is connected to the proximal end 17 of the tube 15 to supply pressurized fluid to the tube 15. Referring also to FIG. 4, the proximal end 17 of the tube 15 is open and connected to the pressure source 20, whereas the distal end 16 is closed and forms a lumen 21 capable of receiving and holding the pressurized fluid. To this end, the lumen 21 is limited by the outer peripheral wall 22 and the end wall 23 of the tube 15. The stiffness of the tube 15 can be adjusted by adjusting the pressure of the pressurized fluid in the lumen 21. For example, the stiffness can be increased during insertion of the blood pump into the patient's blood vessel and decreased during operation of the blood pump, so that the catheter 10 better conforms to the shape of the patient's blood vessel, in particular the aortic arch AA. To achieve the desired stiffness, high pressures can be applied, for example more than 5 bar or more than 30 bar, or even higher, more than 50 bar or more than 75 bar, up to 150 bar. Highly viscous biocompatible materials such as glycerin, silicone oil or gel are preferred. This is because low viscosity fluids, such as water, are more likely to leak out of the tubular stiffening structure 15 .

[0025] Regardless of its shape, size and configuration, the stiffening structure 15 can include or be made of a shape memory material, preferably a shape memory alloy, in particular Nitinol. Due in particular to this material and relying on the pressure of the pressurized fluid, the stiffening structure 15 allows the catheter 10 to bend, i.e., to elastically deform, with a bending radius of 10 mm or less without kinking, i.e., without plastic deformation. The bending radius is measured relative to the central axis of the catheter. For this reason, the catheter 10 having the stiffening structure 15 provides better kink resistance. Preventing the catheter from kinking is important, for example, to prevent the tubular line inside the catheter from being blocked.

Claims

1. 1. An intravascular blood pump for percutaneous insertion into a blood vessel of a patient, comprising: a catheter (10) and a pumping device (1) attached to the catheter (10), the catheter (10) extending along a longitudinal axis and having a distal end (11) and a proximal end (12) opposite the distal end (11) along the longitudinal axis, the catheter (10) having a length and including a tubular stiffening structure (15) extending longitudinally between the proximal and distal ends (12) of the catheter, the tubular stiffening structure (15) having a lumen (21), a proximal end (17) and a closed distal end (16) opposite the proximal end (17), the lumen (21) of the stiffening structure (15) being configured to receive a pressurized fluid having an overpressure of at least 5 bar.

2. 2. The blood pump of claim 1, wherein the catheter (10) has a lumen (13) extending through the catheter (10) from the proximal end (12) to the distal end (11), and the stiffening structure (15) is disposed within the lumen (13) of the catheter (10).

3. 3. The blood pump of claim 2, wherein the stiffening structure is loose within the lumen (13) of the catheter (10).

4. A blood pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lumen (21) of the stiffening structure (15) is configured to receive a pressurized fluid having an overpressure of between 5 bar and 150 bar.

5. A blood pump according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stiffening structure (15) comprises a shape memory material, preferably a shape memory alloy, more preferably Nitinol.

6. A blood pump according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stiffening structure (15) comprises a polymer material.

7. A blood pump according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising at least two of said tubular stiffening structures (15), characterized in that said at least two tubular stiffening structures (15) are twisted together.

8. 7. A blood pump according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising at least three of said tubular stiffening structures (15), said at least three tubular stiffening structures (15) being braided to form a solid braid or a braided hollow tubular member.

9. A blood pump according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stiffening structure (15) is configured to remain within the catheter (10) during operation of the blood pump.

10. A blood pump according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the stiffening structure (15) is configured to be removed from the catheter (10) after the blood pump has been placed in the patient's body.

11. A blood pump according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the stiffening structure (15) enables the catheter (10) to be elastically deformed with a bending of 10 mm or less without undergoing plastic deformation.

12. A system comprising a blood pump according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and a pressure source (20) connected to the proximal end (17) of the stiffening structure (15), configured to supply pressurized fluid to the lumen (21) of the stiffening structure (15).

13. 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a controller configured to adjust a pressure of the pressurized fluid.

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