Driving apparatus and blood pump
By installing a remote bearing at the far end of the drive unit and using axial ball bearings to limit the axial displacement of the rotating components, the problem of wobbling of the rotating components is solved, improving operational stability and efficiency and reducing failures.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENZHEN CORE MEDICAL TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-03
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
The rotating components of existing drive devices are prone to shaking, resulting in unstable operation and poor efficiency.
A distal bearing is provided at the distal end of the housing of the drive unit, including a distal bushing, distal fittings and distal balls, forming an axial ball bearing. The distal balls abut against the abutment wall along the axial direction, which restricts the axial displacement of the rotating components, reduces the risk of shaking, and uses rolling friction to reduce frictional resistance.
It improves the operational stability and efficiency of the drive unit, reduces collisions between rotating components and fixed parts of the housing, and lowers the failure rate.
Smart Images

Figure CN2025132115_15052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Drive unit and blood pump
[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411566767.0, filed on November 5, 2024, with the Chinese Patent Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0002] This application relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a drive device and a blood pump. Background Technology
[0003] An interventional catheter pump, also known as a blood pump, is typically inserted from a blood vessel into the ventricles of the heart to assist the heart in pumping blood and support the patient's blood circulation. A blood pump generally consists of a drive unit and an impeller. The rotating component of the drive unit is fixed to the impeller to drive its rotation and thus blood flow. However, the distal end of the rotating component is prone to wobbling, making the drive unit unstable and resulting in poor operating efficiency. Summary of the Invention
[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a more stable drive device and blood pump to address the above problems, aiming to reduce the risk of shaking of rotating components, improve the stability of drive device operation, and thus improve the operating efficiency of drive device.
[0005] In one embodiment of the driving device provided in this application, the driving device includes a housing, a rotating assembly, a stator, and a distal bearing. The rotating assembly is rotatably mounted on the housing and includes a rotating shaft and a rotor fixedly connected to the rotating shaft; the stator is fixedly connected to the housing; the distal bearing includes a distal bushing, a distal fitting, and a distal ball. The distal bushing is fixed to the distal end of the housing, and the rotating shaft rotatably passes through the distal bushing; the distal fitting is located between the stator and the distal bushing, and the distal fitting is axially opposite to the distal bushing and fixedly connected to the rotating assembly; the distal ball is movably mounted on one of the distal bushing and the distal fitting, and the other of the distal bushing and the distal fitting has an abutment wall that abuts against the spherical surface of the distal ball axially.
[0006] In another embodiment of the driving device provided in this application, the driving device includes a housing, a rotating assembly, a stator, and a distal bearing. The rotating assembly is rotatably mounted on the housing and includes a rotating shaft and a rotor fixedly connected to the rotating shaft; the stator is fixedly connected to the housing and can drive the rotor to rotate; the distal bearing includes a distal bushing, a distal fitting, and a distal spherical protrusion. The distal bushing is fixed to the distal end of the housing, and the rotating shaft rotatably passes through the distal bushing; the distal fitting is housed inside the housing, and the distal fitting is axially opposite to the distal bushing and fixedly connected to the rotating assembly; the distal spherical protrusion is fixed to one of the distal bushing and the distal fitting, and the other of the distal bushing and the distal fitting has an abutment wall that abuts axially against the spherical surface of the distal spherical protrusion.
[0007] In another embodiment of the driving device provided in this application, the driving device includes a housing, a rotating assembly, a stator, a distal bearing, and an auxiliary bearing. The rotating assembly is rotatably mounted on the housing and has a connecting end located outside the housing; the stator is fixedly connected to the housing and can drive the rotor to rotate; the distal bearing is disposed at the distal end of the housing and adjacent to the connecting end; the auxiliary bearing is disposed between the distal bearing and the stator, and the rotating assembly passes through the distal bearing and the auxiliary bearing, the auxiliary bearing and the distal bearing jointly supporting the rotation of the rotating assembly.
[0008] In one embodiment of the blood pump provided in this application, the blood pump includes an impeller and a drive device. The drive device includes a housing, a rotating assembly, a stator, and a distal bearing. The rotating assembly is rotatably mounted on the housing and includes a rotating shaft and a rotor fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. The stator is fixedly connected to the housing. The distal bearing includes a distal bushing, a distal accessory, and a distal ball. The distal bushing is fixed to the distal end of the housing, and the rotating shaft rotatably passes through the distal bushing. The distal accessory is located between the stator and the distal bushing, and the distal accessory is axially opposite to the distal bushing and fixedly connected to the rotating assembly. The distal ball is movably mounted on one of the distal bushing and the distal accessory, and the other of the distal bushing and the distal accessory has an abutment wall that abuts against the spherical surface of the distal ball axially.
[0009] The aforementioned drive device features a distal bearing at the distal end of the housing. This distal bearing comprises a distal fitting, a distal bushing, and distal balls. The distal bushing is fixed to the distal end of the housing and rotatably engages with a rotating shaft. The distal fitting is housed within the housing and fixedly connected to the rotating assembly. The distal balls are movably mounted on one of the distal fitting and the distal bushing. The other of these two components has an abutment wall, which abuts against the spherical surface of the distal balls axially. Thus, the distal bushing, distal fitting, and distal balls combine to form an axial ball bearing. During the start-up, shutdown, and operation of the drive device, the axial ball bearing maintains axial abutment against the abutment wall via the distal balls, preventing axial displacement of the rotating assembly. This reduces the risk of drive device wobbling, improves the stability of the drive assembly, enhances its operating efficiency, and prevents collisions between the rotating assembly and fixed components at the distal end of the housing, reducing the likelihood of malfunctions. Furthermore, the friction between the distal ball and the abutment wall in the axial ball bearing is rolling friction. Even if the distal ball and the abutment wall remain in contact, the frictional resistance between them is relatively small, which reduces the power consumed by the drive device to overcome the frictional resistance, thereby effectively improving the efficiency of the drive device.
[0010] Details of one or more embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description
[0011] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the blood pump provided in this application.
[0013] Figure 2 is a partial structural diagram of the blood pump in Figure 1.
[0014] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0015] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the distal part of the drive device in Figure 3.
[0016] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the near end of the drive device in Figure 3.
[0017] Figure 6 is an enlarged view of point P1 in Figure 4.
[0018] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the drive device in Figure 3.
[0019] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the rotating shaft and the remote accessory assembled into one unit in Figure 3.
[0020] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of one of the structural designs of the remote accessory in Figure 8.
[0021] Figure 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the distal component in Figure 9.
[0022] Figure 11 is a top view of the distal fitting in Figure 8 when it has three distal balls.
[0023] Figure 12 is a top view of the distal fitting in Figure 8 when it has four distal balls.
[0024] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the distal bushing in Figure 7.
[0025] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the relative arrangement of multiple distal balls and ball heads in Figure 3.
[0026] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another structural design for the remote accessory in Figure 8.
[0027] Figure 16 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the distal component in Figure 15.
[0028] Figure 17 is a structural schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0029] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the rotating shaft and the remote accessory assembled into one unit in Figure 17.
[0030] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the disassembled shaft and remote component in Figure 18.
[0031] Figure 20 is a structural schematic diagram of the third embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0032] Figure 21 is a structural schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0033] Figure 22 is a structural schematic diagram of the remote component in Figure 21.
[0034] Figure 23 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the distal component in Figure 22.
[0035] Figure 24 is a structural schematic diagram of the fifth embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0036] Figure 25 is a schematic diagram of the near end of the drive device in Figure 24.
[0037] Figure 26 is an enlarged view of point P2 in Figure 25.
[0038] Figures 27-A to 27-C are schematic diagrams of the near-end fittings in Figure 24.
[0039] Figures 28-A and 28-B are schematic diagrams of the proximal bushing in Figure 24.
[0040] Figure 29 is a structural schematic diagram of the sixth embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0041] Figure 30 is a structural schematic diagram of the seventh embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0042] Figure 31 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the distal part of the drive device in Figure 29.
[0043] Figure 32 is a schematic diagram of the near end of the drive device in Figure 29.
[0044] Figure 33 is a schematic diagram of the integrated molding of the remote accessory and auxiliary accessory in Figure 31.
[0045] Figure 34 is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary base in Figure 29.
[0046] Figure 35 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the auxiliary base in Figure 34.
[0047] Figure 36 is a structural schematic diagram of the eighth embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0048] Figure 37 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the ninth embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0049] Figure 38 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the tenth embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0050] Figure 39 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the eleventh embodiment of the driving device provided in this application.
[0051] Figure 40 is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary base in Figure 39.
[0052] Figure 41 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the auxiliary base in Figure 40. Detailed Implementation
[0053] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.
[0054] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.
[0055] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0056] To illustrate the technical solution of this application, the following description is provided in conjunction with specific accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0057] It should be noted that the terms "distal" and "proximal" throughout the text are only used to indicate relative position. The "distal" end of a component refers to the end that enters the patient's body first and / or is farther from the operator during normal operation, while the "proximal" end refers to the end that enters the patient's body later and / or is closer to the operator. As shown in Figure 2, the direction indicated by arrow Y+ is from the proximal end to the distal end; the direction indicated by arrow Y- is from the distal end to the proximal end.
[0058] Referring to Figure 1, the blood pump 1 mentioned in this application is designed as a percutaneous interventional blood vessel to assist the heart in pumping blood. The blood pump 1 can be a left-sided ventricular interventional blood pump or a right-sided ventricular interventional blood pump. To avoid redundancy, the following description mainly uses a left-sided ventricular interventional blood pump as an example. The following describes the blood pump in the embodiment of this application.
[0059] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the blood pump 1 includes a drive unit 10 and an impeller 50; the impeller 50 is connected to the distal end of the rotating shaft 210 of the drive unit 10. The drive unit 10 can drive the impeller 50 to rotate, thereby causing blood to flow. The blood pump 1 also includes a cannula assembly 20, which is fixedly connected to the housing 100 of the drive unit 10; the proximal end of the cannula assembly 20 has a proximal opening 20a, and the distal end of the cannula assembly 20 has a distal opening 20b; the impeller 50 is disposed within the cannula assembly 20. One of the proximal opening 20a and the distal opening 20b serves as a blood inlet, and the other serves as a blood outlet.
[0060] When blood pump 1 is a right ventricular interventional blood pump, blood pump 1 can push blood through the right ventricle across the pulmonary valve to the pulmonary artery, so that the proximal opening 20a is located in the right ventricle and serves as the blood inlet; while the distal opening 20b is located in the pulmonary artery and serves as the blood outlet.
[0061] When blood pump 1 is a left ventricular interventional blood pump, blood pump 1 can push blood into the left ventricle through the aorta and across the aortic valve, such that the proximal opening 20a is located in the aorta and serves as the blood outlet; while the distal opening 20b is located in the left ventricle and serves as the blood inlet.
[0062] The cannulation assembly 20 may include a flexible cannula 21, a proximal cannula 23, and a distal cannula 22. The distal cannula 22 has a proximal opening 20a and connects the proximal end of the flexible cannula 21 to the distal end of the drive device 10. The proximal cannula 23 has a distal opening 20b and is connected to the distal end of the flexible cannula 21. It is understood that the distal cannula 22 is not essential, and the proximal opening 20a can be directly provided on the flexible cannula 21. Similarly, the proximal cannula 23 is also not essential, and the distal opening 20b can also be directly provided on the flexible cannula 21.
[0063] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the blood pump 1 also includes a catheter 40, which is fixedly connected to the proximal end of the drive device 10. The catheter 40 is used to accommodate the wires, flushing lines, and other components of the drive device 10.
[0064] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the blood pump 1 also includes a non-invasive flexible element 30, which is fixed to the distal end of the cannulation assembly 20. Specifically, the non-invasive flexible element 30 is connected to the distal end of the proximal tube 23 of the cannulation assembly 20. The non-invasive flexible element 30 can contact the inner wall of the tissue to position the blood pump 1. The non-invasive flexible element 30 is made of a flexible material, which makes it flexible and prevents it from damaging the tissue.
[0065] The following provides a detailed description of various embodiments of the drive device 10 in this application.
[0066] Figures 3 to 13 illustrate a first embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. In this first embodiment, the drive device 10 includes a housing 100, a rotating assembly 200, and a stator 300. The rotating assembly 200 includes a rotating shaft 210 and a rotor 220 fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 210. The rotating shaft 210 is rotatably mounted on the housing 100, passing through the distal end of the housing 100, and has a connecting end 211 located outside the housing 100. The stator 300 is fixedly connected to the housing 100 and is capable of driving the rotor 220 to rotate, thereby driving the rotating shaft 210 to rotate.
[0067] Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the housing 100 is cylindrical. The distal end of the housing 100 is fixedly connected to the proximal end of the cannulation assembly 20; the proximal end of the housing 100 is fixedly connected to the distal end of the conduit 40. The housing 100 is provided with a receiving cavity 101; the stator 300 and the rotor 220 are both received in the receiving cavity 101 and are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the housing 100.
[0068] Specifically, the housing 100 includes a first housing 110 and a second housing 120, with the second housing 120 connected to the distal end of the first housing 110. The second housing 120 covers the distal end of the first housing 110. The housing 100 may also include a third housing 130, with the third housing 130 connected to the proximal end of the first housing 110. The first housing 110, the second housing 120, and the third housing 130 enclose a receiving cavity 101. One of the second housing 120 and the third housing 130 is optional.
[0069] Referring to Figures 3 and 7, the rotor 220 includes a first rotor 221, which is arranged axially with the stator 300. Specifically, the first rotor 221 is disposed at the distal end of the receiving cavity 101 of the housing 100, and is located between the distal bearing 400 and the stator 300. The stator 300 is capable of driving the first rotor 221 to rotate.
[0070] Referring to Figures 3 and 7, the rotor 220 also includes a second rotor 222, which is disposed on both sides of the first rotor 221 along the axial direction of the stator 300. That is, the stator 300 is located between the first rotor 221 and the second rotor 222. The stator 300 can also drive the second rotor 222 to rotate.
[0071] The first rotor 221 and the second rotor 222 may only have one of them. Each rotor 220 includes a plurality of magnets arranged in a ring along the outer periphery of the shaft 210. For example, the plurality of magnets are arranged in a Hellbeck array magnetic ring. Each rotor 220 may also include a flywheel fixed to the shaft 210, on which the plurality of magnets are mounted. It is understood that the flywheel can be a disc-shaped support or a cylindrical support.
[0072] Referring to Figures 3 and 7, the stator 300 includes a first stator 310 through which a shaft 210 rotatably passes. The first stator 310 is adjacent to and capable of driving the first rotor 221 to rotate. The stator 300 also includes a second stator 320, which, along with the first stator 310, is arranged axially; the shaft 210 rotatably passes through the second stator 320. The second stator 320 is adjacent to and capable of driving the second rotor 222 to rotate. It is understood that the second stator 320 is not essential. In other embodiments, only the first stator 310 may be present.
[0073] The connecting end 211 of the rotating shaft 210 is used to connect with the impeller 50 of the blood pump 1 to drive the impeller 50 to rotate. The end of the rotating shaft 210 away from the connecting end 211 is the mounting end 212, which is rotatably mounted inside the housing 100, and the rotating shaft 210 is not easily moved in the Y- direction. When the drive device 10 is started, the impeller 50 is under load, and the impeller 50 generates an axial force F0 in the Y+ direction on the rotating assembly 200. When the load on the impeller 50 is large, the axial force F0 is also large, and this axial force F0 easily causes the rotating assembly 200 to move in the Y+ direction.
[0074] In some other related technologies, a thrust ring (not shown in the figure) is typically provided on the rotating shaft 210 to reduce the axial displacement of the rotating assembly 200. When the impeller 50 is unloaded or under light load, there is an axial gap between the thrust ring and the fixed component (such as a bushing) located at the distal end of the housing 100, and the two do not contact each other, so the distal end of the rotating assembly 200 experiences little or no wear. When the impeller 50 is loaded and the load is large, the axial force F0 applied by the impeller 50 to the rotating assembly 200 is large, and the thrust ring moves with the rotating assembly 200 in the Y+ direction until it abuts against the fixed component, thereby preventing the rotating assembly 200 from continuing to move in the Y+ direction, and thus limiting the axial movement of the rotating assembly 200.
[0075] Although the thrust ring can reduce the axial displacement of the rotating assembly 200, it still maintains a slight axial gap with the stationary component in its initial state. Therefore, at the instant the thrust ring displaces along the Y+ direction and comes into contact with the stationary component, a collision occurs. This collision becomes more pronounced when the load on the impeller 50 increases or changes frequently.
[0076] For example, at the moment the drive device 10 starts, the vibration of the rotating component 200 may cause it to move in the Y+ direction and collide with the fixed component. As another example, in some treatment protocols, it is necessary to adjust the rotational speed of the shaft 210 according to the normal heart rate so that the blood pump 1 can simulate the heart's pumping frequency to deliver blood. In this case, the rotational speed of the shaft 210 is often controlled to vary at a certain frequency. At this time, the axial force F0 applied by the impeller 50 to the rotating component 200 will change accordingly. Under the action of this axial force F0, the rotating component 200 will reciprocate in the Y+ and Y- directions, which may cause the rotating component 200 to intermittently collide with the fixed component, thereby causing the drive device 10 to malfunction and affecting its service life.
[0077] Therefore, in the first embodiment of this application, the difference from the conventional method of using a thrust ring is that, referring to Figures 3, 4, and 6, the drive device 10 in this embodiment further includes a distal bearing 400, which is disposed at the distal end of the housing 100; the rotating shaft 210 passes through the distal bearing 400 and has a connecting end 211 located outside the housing 100. The distal bearing 400 includes a distal bushing 410, a distal fitting 420, and a distal ball 430. The distal bushing 410 is fixed to the distal end of the housing 100, and the rotating shaft 210 rotatably passes through the distal bushing 410. The distal fitting 420 is housed inside the housing 100, and the distal fitting 420 and the distal bushing 410 are axially opposite each other. The distal fitting 420 is fixedly connected to the rotating assembly 200. The distal ball bearing 430 is movably mounted on one of the distal bushing 410 and the distal fitting 420. The other of the distal bushing 410 and the distal fitting 420 has an abutment wall 402, which abuts against the spherical surface 401 of the distal ball bearing 430 axially. The axial abutment means that the abutment wall 402 and the spherical surface 401 of the distal ball bearing 430 are axially opposite each other and abut against each other.
[0078] Specifically, one of the distal bearing bush 410 and the distal fitting 420, in which the distal ball 430 is mounted, has a mounting end face opposite to the abutment wall 402. At least a portion of the distal ball 430 protrudes toward the abutment wall 402 relative to the mounting end face, thereby abutting against the abutment wall 402. When the rotating assembly 200 tends to move in the Y+ direction, the distal ball 430 of the distal bearing 400 and the abutment wall 402 remain abutting, thereby preventing the rotating assembly 200 from moving in the Y+ direction and reducing the risk of axial displacement of the rotating assembly 200.
[0079] The aforementioned drive device 10 has a distal bearing 400 disposed at the distal end of the housing 100. The distal bearing 400 includes a distal fitting 420, a distal bushing 410, and distal balls 430. The distal bushing 410 is fixed to the distal end of the housing 100, and a rotating shaft 210 rotatably passes through the distal bushing 410. The distal fitting 420 is housed inside the housing 100 and fixedly connected to the rotating assembly 200. The distal balls 430 are movably mounted on one of the distal fitting 420 and the distal bushing 410. The other of the distal fitting 420 and the distal bushing 410 has an abutment wall 402, which abuts against the spherical surface 401 of the distal balls 430 axially. Thus, the distal bushing 410, the distal fitting 420, and the distal balls 430 combine to form an axial ball bearing. During the start-up, shutdown, and operation of the drive unit 10, the axial ball bearing maintains axial contact with the abutment wall 402 via the distal ball 430, making it less prone to axial displacement of the rotating component 200. This reduces the risk of drive unit wobbling and improves the stability of the drive component's operation. This not only improves the operating efficiency of the drive unit but also prevents collisions between the rotating component and the fixed components at the distal end of the housing, reducing the occurrence of malfunctions. Furthermore, the friction between the distal ball 430 and the abutment wall 402 within the axial ball bearing is rolling friction. Even when the distal ball and the abutment wall remain in contact, the frictional resistance is relatively small, reducing the power consumed by the drive unit to overcome frictional resistance and effectively improving the efficiency of the drive unit 10.
[0080] It is understood that, since the rotating shaft 210 rotatably passes through the distal bushing 410, the distal bushing 410 should have a shaft hole through which the rotating shaft 210 passes. Specifically, the distal bushing 410 has a distal shaft hole 411, and the distal shaft hole 411 is rotatably inserted into the distal shaft hole 411. Furthermore, the rotating shaft 210 passes through the distal shaft hole 411 and has a connecting end 211 extending to the outside of the housing 210. The distal bushing 410 slides with the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 through the inner circumferential surface of the distal shaft hole 411, so the distal bushing 410 and the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 combine to form a radial sliding bearing. The radial sliding bearing can restrict the radial movement of the rotating shaft 210 and reduce the radial wobble of the rotating shaft 210. In other words, the distal bushing 410 of the distal bearing 400, combined with the distal fitting 420 and the distal ball 430, can form an axial ball bearing to restrict the axial movement of the shaft 210; furthermore, the inner circumferential surface of the distal bushing 410 and the circumferential surface of the shaft 210 also form a radial sliding bearing to restrict the radial movement of the shaft 210. The cooperation between the radial sliding bearing and the axial ball bearing allows the shaft 210 to rotate smoothly, improving the coaxiality of the central axis of the shaft 210 and the central axis 11 of the housing 100 during operation, thereby reducing collisions between the shaft 210 and the housing 100 and other components, effectively reducing the risk of drive device 10 failure.
[0081] It should be noted that when the rotating shaft 210 rotates smoothly, the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 coincides with the central axis 11 of the housing 100. If the rotating shaft 210 experiences a small radial wobbling, the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 intersects with the central axis 11 of the housing 100.
[0082] The number of distal balls 430 can be multiple. In this application, "multiple" means two or more. Multiple distal balls 430 are arranged around the rotating shaft 210. Multiple distal balls 430 together support the rotating assembly 200 in different directions around the rotating shaft 210, which can reduce the radial runout of the rotating assembly 200 and improve the stability of the rotating assembly 200 during operation.
[0083] Optionally, multiple distal balls 430 are arranged at intervals around the rotating shaft 210. This allows the use of fewer distal balls 430. Thus, not only can the weight of the drive unit 10 be reduced, making the blood pump 1 lighter, but the power required to start the drive unit 10 can also be reduced, allowing the rotating assembly 200 to start smoothly.
[0084] Typically, a gap is provided between the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 and the inner circumferential surface of the distal shaft hole 411. This gap allows flushing fluid from the housing 100 to drain into the cannulation assembly 20 of the blood pump 1, preventing backflow of blood into the housing 100. Due to the presence of this gap, the rotating shaft 210 may tend to radially wobble during rotation. However, since multiple distal ball bearings 430 support the rotating assembly 200 in different orientations around the circumference of the rotating shaft 210, the risk of radial wobble in the rotating assembly 200 can be reduced, thereby minimizing the occurrence of radial wobble.
[0085] Understandably, even if the rotating component 200 experiences a slight radial yaw, it will deflect around the distal ball bearing 430 on one side, while the distal ball bearing 430 on the opposite side will briefly loosen from the abutment wall 402. This reduces the number of distal balls bearing 430 in contact with the abutment wall 402, thereby reducing the contact points between the distal accessory 420 and the distal bushing 410. This reduces the resistance experienced by the rotating shaft 210 during yaw, prevents the rotating shaft 210 from jamming, and makes it easier for the rotating shaft 210 to return to its original stable state.
[0086] For example, when the shaft 210 wobbles radially to the right, the distal end fitting 420 uses its left distal ball bearing 430 as a fulcrum to support the wobbling of the shaft 210; the right distal ball bearing 430 of the distal end fitting 420 will briefly and slightly loosen from the abutment wall 402, at which point only the left distal ball bearing 430 of the distal end fitting 420 remains abutting against the abutment wall 402. Conversely, when the shaft 210 wobbles radially to the left, the distal end fitting 420 uses its right distal ball bearing 430 as a fulcrum to support the wobbling of the shaft 210; the left distal ball bearing 430 of the distal end fitting 420 will loosen from the abutment wall 402, at which point only the right distal ball bearing 430 of the distal end fitting 420 remains abutting against the abutment wall 402.
[0087] Therefore, if the rotating assembly 200 experiences a slight radial sway, the distal fitting 420 will contact the abutment wall 402 with one of its distal balls 430 as the fulcrum, while the other distal ball 430 will briefly and slightly loosen from the abutment wall 402. This reduces the number of contacts between the distal bushing 410 and the distal ball 430, thereby reducing the contact points between the distal fitting 420 and the distal bushing 410. Consequently, the resistance experienced by the rotating shaft 210 during swaying can be reduced, preventing the rotating shaft 210 from jamming.
[0088] Of course, in other embodiments, the plurality of distal balls 430 may also be arranged in a row around the pivot 210, that is, two adjacent distal balls 430 are in contact.
[0089] It is understood that the number of distal balls 430 may also be one. For example, in some other embodiments, the distal bearing 400 may include only one distal ball 430; and the distal bearing 400 also includes at least one distal spherical protrusion 440 (refer to the embodiments shown in Figures 21 and 22), the distal spherical protrusion 440 and the one distal ball 430 are arranged at intervals around the shaft 210, both the distal spherical protrusion 440 and the distal ball 430 have a spherical surface 401, and both of the spherical surfaces 401 abut against the abutment wall 402 axially.
[0090] In this embodiment, the distal bearing 400 is located between the connecting end 211 and the stator 300 or the rotor 220. In other words, the distal bearing 400 is disposed between the connecting end 211 and the stator 300; or, the distal bearing 400 is disposed between the connecting end 211 and the rotor 220. The distal fitting 420 of the distal bearing 400 can be fixedly connected to the shaft 210 or to the rotor 220.
[0091] Specifically, the distal bearing 400 is disposed between the connecting end 211 and the first rotor 221. The distal accessory 420 of the distal bearing 400 is fixedly connected to at least one of the rotating shaft 210 and the first rotor 221. When the stator 300 drives the rotor 220 to rotate, the rotor 220 drives the rotating shaft 210 to rotate, and the distal accessory 420 rotates with the rotating shaft 210, thereby rotating the distal accessory 420 relative to the distal bushing 410. At the same time, the distal ball 430 rolls relative to the abutment wall 402.
[0092] In this embodiment, the distal bushing 410 has an abutment wall 402; the distal fitting 420 is located between the stator 300 and the distal bushing 410, and the distal fitting 420 has a mounting end face (i.e., a first end face 421) opposite to the abutment wall 402. The distal ball 430 is movably mounted on the distal fitting 420, and the distal ball 430 protrudes toward the abutment wall 402 (i.e., along the Y+ direction) relative to the mounting end face and abuts against the abutment wall 402.
[0093] Referring to Figures 3, 4, and 9, the distal bushing 410 is an independent component and can be connected and fixed to the housing 100 by means of bonding, welding, or other methods. Optionally, the distal end of the housing 100 is provided with a mounting hole 103, and the mounting hole 103 and the receiving cavity 101 are arranged axially; the mounting hole 103 is located on the distal side of the receiving cavity 101, and the distal bushing 410 is installed in the mounting hole 103. Of course, in some other embodiments, the distal bushing 410 can be a component integrally formed with the housing 100.
[0094] The distal bushing 410 is cylindrical. Of course, in other embodiments, the distal bushing 410 may also have other shapes. The proximal end of the distal bushing 410 faces the receiving cavity 101, and the proximal end wall of the distal bushing 410 serves as the abutment wall 402.
[0095] Referring to Figures 3, 7 through 9, the distal accessory 420 is housed in the receiving cavity 101 of the housing 100. The distal end face of the distal accessory 420 is a first end face 421 (i.e., the mounting end face opposite to the distal accessory 420); the distal ball 430 is movably mounted on the distal accessory 420 and protrudes toward the distal bushing 410 relative to the first end face 421 of the distal accessory 420 to abut against the abutment wall 402. The distal accessory 420 is fixedly connected to at least one of the rotating shaft 210 and the rotor 220.
[0096] The remote accessory 420 is configured as a disc-shaped structure. The remote accessory 420 can be integrally formed with the rotating shaft 210, which improves the strength of the connection between the remote accessory 420 and the rotating shaft 210 and reduces processing steps. Of course, in other embodiments, the remote accessory 420 can be a separate component, meaning the remote accessory 420 and the rotating shaft 210 are formed separately, and the remote accessory 420 can be connected and fixed to the rotating shaft 210 by welding or bonding.
[0097] Since the first rotor 221 is adjacent to the distal end fitting 420 and has a distal end face facing the distal end fitting 420, the distal end fitting 420 can also be connected and fixed to the distal end face of the first rotor 221.
[0098] Referring to Figure 4, optionally, the outer diameter of the remote accessory 420 is smaller than the outer diameter of the first rotor 221. Let the outer diameter of the remote accessory 420 be the first outer diameter D1, and the outer diameter of the first rotor 221 be the second outer diameter D2. Then, the first outer diameter D1 is smaller than the second outer diameter D2, i.e., D1 < D2. The larger the outer diameter of the rotor 220, the larger the volume of magnets that the rotor 220 can accommodate, and the greater the magnetic force of the rotor 220. Therefore, the outer diameter of the first rotor 221 (i.e., the second outer diameter D2) is designed to be larger to increase the magnetic force of the first rotor 221, thereby improving the efficiency of the drive device 10. Conversely, a smaller outer diameter of the remote accessory 420 allows for a smaller volume of the remote accessory 420, effectively reducing its weight and space occupation.
[0099] Furthermore, since the outer diameter of the first rotor 221 is larger than the outer diameter of the distal accessory 420, the area of the distal end face of the first rotor 221 is larger than the area of the proximal end face of the distal accessory 420, which allows the distal end face of the first rotor 221 to stably support the distal accessory 420 and enhance the stability of the distal accessory 420 installation.
[0100] Referring to Figures 3, 4, and 6, a proximal limiting groove 102 is also provided inside the housing 100, located between the receiving cavity 101 and the mounting hole 103. The diameter of the proximal limiting groove 102 is smaller than the diameter of the receiving cavity 101, and the diameter of the proximal limiting groove 102 is larger than the diameter of the mounting hole 103. The distal portion of the distal accessory 420 extends into the proximal limiting groove 102 to limit the rotation of the distal accessory 420 within the proximal limiting groove 102.
[0101] Understandably, since the distal component 420 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 210, the distal component 420 can rotate together with the rotating shaft 210. Therefore, the diameter of the proximal limiting groove 102 should be larger than the outer diameter (i.e., the first outer diameter D1) of the distal component 420 to ensure that there is a gap between the inner peripheral wall of the proximal limiting groove 102 and the outer peripheral surface of the distal component 420, allowing the distal component 420 to rotate. When the rotating shaft 210 has a tendency to undergo a large radial wobble, the proximal limiting groove 102 can limit the wobble of the distal component 420, that is, limit the wobble of the rotating shaft 210, and prevent the two from undergoing a large radial wobble.
[0102] The distal end of the distal accessory 420 extends into the proximal limiting groove 102, that is, the first end face 421 of the distal accessory 420 extends into the proximal limiting groove 102. Since the diameter of the proximal limiting groove 102 is larger than the diameter of the mounting hole 103, a stepped surface 102a is formed between the proximal limiting groove 102 and the mounting hole 103. During assembly, if the distal accessory 420 (specifically the first end face 421) contacts the stepped surface 102a before the distal ball 430 contacts the abutment wall 402, then the stepped surface 102a will prevent the distal ball 430 from contacting the abutment wall 402, making it difficult for the distal ball 430 to subsequently abut against the abutment wall 402.
[0103] In view of the above, in this embodiment, when the distal ball 430 abuts against the abutment wall 402, the distal accessory 420 and the stepped surface 102a are axially spaced by a first distance L1. Specifically, the first end face 421 of the distal accessory 420 and the stepped surface 102a are spaced by a first distance L1. The first distance L1 is greater than zero. This design prevents the distal accessory 420 from contacting the stepped surface 102a before the distal ball 430 contacts the abutment wall 402, ensuring that the distal ball 430 can accurately contact the abutment wall 402.
[0104] The distal ball 430 is movably mounted to the distal fitting 420, and a portion of the distal ball 430 protrudes from the first end face 421. This allows a portion of the distal ball 430 to be located between the first end face 421 and the abutment wall 402, so as to abut against the abutment wall 402.
[0105] Specifically, the distal accessory 420 is provided with a distal mounting groove 403, which has an opening 403c. A distal ball 430 is movably mounted in the distal mounting groove 403. A portion of the distal ball 430 extends outward from the opening 403c of the distal mounting groove 403, such that the distal ball 430 has an inner portion 432 received inside the distal mounting groove 403 and an outer protrusion 431 extending outside the distal mounting groove 403. A spherical surface 401 on the outer protrusion 431 abuts against an abutment wall 402.
[0106] It is understood that the distal ball 430 is a sphere. The entire outer circumferential surface of the distal ball 430 is spherical. Therefore, no matter which direction the distal ball 430 rolls or which position it rolls to, the distal ball 430 will have an outward protrusion 431 located outside the distal mounting groove 403, so that the spherical surface 401 on the outward protrusion 431 can abut against the abutment wall 402.
[0107] In one mounting method of the distal ball bearing 430, the distal accessory 420 is provided with a plurality of distal mounting slots 403, which are arranged sequentially and at intervals around the rotating shaft 210. Each distal mounting slot 403 corresponds to the mounting of one distal ball bearing 430. Alternatively, in other embodiments, each distal mounting slot 403 corresponds to the mounting of at least two distal balls bearing 430.
[0108] Because multiple distal balls 430 are installed in different distal mounting slots 403, the distal balls 430 in each distal mounting slot 403 do not interfere with each other. When the rotating assembly 200 rotates, the multiple distal balls 430 are driven by the rotating assembly 200 to roll in their respective distal mounting slots 403. No two adjacent distal balls 430 will squeeze or pile up against each other, allowing each distal ball 430 to roll freely. Therefore, the distal balls 430 in different positions can adapt their movement according to the magnitude and direction of the force they receive. Furthermore, this reduces the power required to start the drive device 10, allowing the rotating assembly 200 to start smoothly.
[0109] Referring to Figures 15 and 16, in another installation method of the distal ball bearing 430, the distal accessory 420 may have only one distal mounting groove 403, which is annular and surrounds the rotating shaft 210. Multiple distal balls 430 are disposed within the distal mounting groove 403, arranged sequentially and adjacent to each other around the rotating shaft 210. Adjacent distal balls 430 are in contact. The spherical surface 401 of the distal ball bearing 430 also contacts the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210. Specifically, the distal mounting groove 403 has a bottom wall 403a and a side wall 403b disposed along the outer periphery of the bottom wall 403a; that is, the distal mounting groove 403 has only one side wall 403b. The side wall 403b and the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 are radially opposite and spaced apart, and the distal balls 430 are tangent to the side wall 403b and the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210.
[0110] Referring to Figures 4, 9, and 10, regardless of the mounting method used, the protruding portion 431 of the distal ball 430 always has an abutment point F1 for abutting against the abutment wall 402. Here, the abutment point F1 is the tangent point where the spherical surface 401 of the distal ball 430 and the abutment wall 402 are tangent. The distal ball 430 has an axial height H protruding outward from the opening 403c of the distal mounting groove 403. f1 The axial height H f1 It is the axial distance between the contact point F1 and the slot 403c, and also the axial distance between the first end face 421 and the contact wall 402.
[0111] If the axial height H f1 If the distance is too small, the gap between the first end face 421 and the abutment wall 402 will be small, making them prone to contact. When the shaft 210 rotates, wear or collision may occur between the first end face 421 and the abutment wall 402. Therefore, optionally, the axial height H... f1 Set to be greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the radius of the distal ball bearing 430, i.e., H f1 ≥1 / 3R; where R represents the radius of the distal ball 430. This ensures that after the protrusion 431 abuts against the abutment wall 402, there is a sufficient gap between the first end face 421 and the abutment wall 402, making it less likely for them to interfere with each other, avoiding wear or collision, and improving the stability of the rotation of the shaft 210.
[0112] Of course, the axial height H f1 It should not be designed to be too large, otherwise it will occupy a large amount of axial space in the housing 100, and may increase the risk that the distal ball bearing 430 will fall out of the distal mounting slot 403. Therefore, optionally, the axial height H f1 The radius of the distal ball is smaller than 430, i.e., H. f1 <R. This ensures that the volume of the built-in portion 432 of the distal ball 430 is at least half the volume of the distal ball 430, so that the center of the distal ball 430 will fall inside the distal mounting groove 403, thereby reducing the risk of the distal ball 430 falling out of the distal mounting groove 403.
[0113] Referring to Figure 10, the distal mounting groove 403 has a groove bottom wall 403a and a groove side wall 403b arranged circumferentially along the groove bottom wall 403a; the built-in portion 432 of the distal ball 430 abuts against the groove bottom wall 403a, and the built-in portion 432 is also tangent to the groove side wall 403b.
[0114] The bottom wall 403a is a planar wall perpendicular to the central axis of the distal fitting 420. At this time, the distal ball 430 is tangent to the bottom wall 403a, and the tangent position is the abutment position. In other embodiments, the bottom wall 403a may be a spherical wall.
[0115] The groove sidewall 403b is perpendicular to the groove bottom wall 403a. The groove sidewall 403b can be a cylindrical surface, in which case the contact between the distal ball 430 and the groove sidewall 403b is a line contact. The groove sidewall 403b can also be composed of multiple planes, in which case the contact between the distal ball 430 and the groove sidewall 403b is a point contact. In other embodiments, the groove sidewall 403b can form an inclined angle with the groove bottom wall 403a.
[0116] The position where the inner part 432 of the distal ball 430 is tangent to the groove sidewall 403b is defined as the cutting position F2, and the cutting position F2 has a cutting depth H from the groove opening 403c of the distal mounting groove 403. f2 Obviously, the cutting depth H f2 The radius R (i.e., H) needs to be smaller than that of the distal ball bearing 430. f2 <R, R = 1 / 2D f This allows a portion of the distal ball bearing 430 to protrude outward from the slot 403c of the distal mounting groove 403, forming an outward protrusion 431. However, the cutting depth H... f2 It should not be too small, otherwise the distal ball bearing 430 may easily fall out of the distal mounting slot 403.
[0117] Therefore, optionally, the cutting depth H f2 Greater than or equal to 1 / 2 times the radius of the distal ball bearing 430, i.e., 1 / 2R≤H f2 <R. This allows the volume of the internal portion 432 of the distal ball 430 to be greater than or equal to half the volume of the distal ball 430. With this configuration, the center of the distal ball 430 will fall inside the distal mounting groove 403, thereby reducing the risk of the distal ball 430 falling out of the distal mounting groove 403.
[0118] Understandably, the cutting depth H f2 and axial height H f1 The sum equals the radius R of the distal ball bearing 430, i.e., H. f1 +H f2 =R. Furthermore, the cutting depth H f2 It is also greater than the axial height H f1 Therefore, 1 / 3R≤H f1 <H f2 <R. This configuration ensures that the distal ball 430 is not easily dislodged from the distal mounting slot 403, and also ensures that the protrusion 431 of the distal ball 430 has sufficient height to abut against the abutment wall 402.
[0119] Referring to Figures 9, 11, and 12, a plurality of distal balls 430 are arranged at intervals around the shaft 210. For example, the shaft 210 has a circumferential annular region 102. The annular region 102 can be defined by an inner ring 102a and an outer ring 102b. The inner ring 102a and outer ring 102b are virtual boundaries used to define the annular region 102, with the inner ring 102a located between the outer ring 102b and the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 210. The centers of the inner ring 102a and outer ring 102b are located on the central axis of the shaft 210. The inner ring 102a and the circumferential surface of the shaft 210 are radially spaced apart. The plurality of distal balls 430 are arranged at intervals around the shaft 210 within the annular region 102.
[0120] Optionally, the plurality of distal balls 430 may be arranged at equal intervals around the rotating shaft 210 to form multiple uniformly distributed fulcrums in the circumference of the rotating shaft 210, making the installation of the rotating shaft 210 more stable. Of course, in other embodiments, the plurality of distal balls 430 may also be arranged at non-equal intervals around the rotating shaft 210.
[0121] Optionally, at least two of the distal balls 430 are located on opposite sides of the shaft 210. This allows for at least one fulcrum on each opposite side of the shaft 210 (e.g., left and right sides or front and back sides), which reduces radial sway of the shaft 210 along the left and right sides.
[0122] The number of distal ball bearings 430 can be 2 to 10. For example, but not limited to 3, 4, 5, 8, etc.
[0123] As shown in Figure 11, there are three distal balls 430. These three distal balls 430a to 400c are arranged at equal intervals around the rotating shaft 210, and the perpendicular connection line between the center of the three distal balls 430a to 400c and the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 forms a Y shape.
[0124] As shown in Figure 12, there are four distal balls 430. These four distal balls 430a to 400d are arranged at equal intervals around the rotating shaft 210, and the perpendicular connection line between the center of the four distal balls 430a to 400d and the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 forms a cross shape.
[0125] Referring to Figure 10, the diameter D of the distal ball 430 f The value is 0.4mm to 0.7mm, that is, 0.4mm ≤ D. f ≤0.7mm. The radius R of the distal ball bearing 430 is D. f Half of. For example, diameter D f The values can be, but are not limited to, 0.45mm, 0.5mm, 0.55mm, 0.6mm, 0.65mm, and 0.7mm.
[0126] The spherical surface 401 of the distal ball 430 can be configured as a ceramic surface. Specifically, the distal ball 430 is entirely made of ceramic material, thus making the spherical surface 401 of the distal ball 430 a ceramic surface. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the distal ball 430 can be made of a hard metal material, with an additional layer of ceramic material added to the spherical surface 401 to form the ceramic surface. Ceramic materials have high processing precision, high biocompatibility, high mechanical strength, and good wear and corrosion resistance.
[0127] Referring to Figures 4 and 13, the abutment wall 402 that abuts against the distal ball 430 may be provided with an annular groove that surrounds the rotating shaft 210; a portion of the distal ball 430 is accommodated in the annular groove and abuts against the annular groove.
[0128] The annular groove is not mandatory. For example, the abutment wall 402 can be a flat wall without any concave or convex structures (such as an annular groove); the abutment wall 402 is perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 and tangent to the distal ball 430. This ensures that each distal ball 430 is tangent to the abutment wall 402, resulting in multiple scattered point contacts between the distal balls 430 and the abutment wall 402, with a small contact area and low frictional resistance. Furthermore, if the rotating shaft 210 experiences radial wobbling, the distal balls 430 can roll radially on the abutment wall 402, reducing the resistance to their movement, preventing the rotating shaft 210 from jamming, and making it easier for the rotating shaft 210 to return to its original stable state.
[0129] In this embodiment, since the distal bushing 410 is provided with an abutment wall 402, the distal shaft hole 411 on the distal bushing 410 penetrates the abutment wall 402. The connection between the inner circumferential surface of the distal shaft hole 411 and the abutment wall 402 is the inner end edge of the distal shaft hole 411. The abutment point F1 of any distal ball 430 and the distal shaft hole 411 are radially spaced. The minimum radial distance between the abutment point F1 and the distal shaft hole 411 is defined as the second distance L2. When the shaft 210 undergoes a small radial wobbling, the second distance L2 of one of the distal balls 430 will decrease, and the distal ball 430 on that side may contact the inner end edge of the distal shaft hole 411, resulting in significant friction when they come into contact.
[0130] Therefore, in this embodiment, the second distance L2 is set to be greater than or equal to 0.2 mm, i.e., L2 ≥ 0.2 mm. This reduces the likelihood of the distal ball bearing 430 contacting the inner edge of the distal shaft hole 411 when the shaft 210 experiences a small radial runout, thereby reducing wear on the distal ball bearing 430. The maximum value of the second distance L2 is not limited and can be designed according to the diameter of the distal bushing 410.
[0131] The surface of the abutment wall 402 that contacts the distal ball 430 is a ceramic surface. For example, the entire distal bushing 410 is made of ceramic material, so the abutment wall 402 of the distal bushing 410 is a ceramic surface accordingly. As another example, the distal bushing 410 is made of metal material, and a layer of ceramic material is added to the surface of the distal bushing 410 to form the ceramic surface.
[0132] Figures 17 to 19 illustrate a second embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. The drive device 10 in this second embodiment differs from the drive device 10 of the first embodiment described above in that the distal end fitting 420 and the rotating shaft 210 are separately formed. The distal end fitting 420 has a connecting hole 422; the rotating shaft 210 passes through the connecting hole 422, and the inner wall surface of the connecting hole 422 is connected and fixed to the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210. The distal end fitting 420 can be connected and fixed to the rotating shaft 210 by means of bonding, welding, or other methods. In this way, the distal end fitting 420 and the rotating shaft 210 can be manufactured separately without adjusting the molding die of the rotating shaft 210, reducing the complexity of manufacturing the rotating shaft 210.
[0133] Optionally, a mounting platform 214 is also provided on the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210. The mounting platform 214 is located on the side of the distal fitting 420 opposite to the distal bushing 410. The mounting platform 214 has a distal mounting surface 214a, and the distal fitting 420 is fixedly connected to the distal mounting surface 214a. The mounting platform 214 has a disc-shaped structure, and the distal mounting surface 214a is the plane on the distal side of the mounting platform 214. In other embodiments, the mounting platform 214 may also be composed of multiple spaced mounting arms. Using the mounting platform 214 to support and fix the distal fitting 420 can further improve the stability of the distal fitting 420 installation.
[0134] Compared to the distal accessory 420, the mounting platform 214 does not require slotted structures for mounting the distal ball bearing 430. Therefore, the structure of the mounting platform 214 is simpler than that of the distal accessory 420, making it easier to integrally form with the rotating shaft 210. Thus, the mounting platform 214 can be integrally formed with the rotating shaft 210, resulting in a higher degree of perpendicularity between the mounting platform 214 and the rotating shaft 210, ensuring that the distal mounting surface 214a is perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating shaft 210. When the proximal surface of the distal accessory 420 is flush with the distal mounting surface 214a of the mounting platform 214, the central axis of the distal accessory 420 coincides with the central axis of the rotating shaft 210, eliminating the need for repeated calibration of their central axes during assembly.
[0135] Referring also to Figures 17 to 19, the mounting platform 214 further includes a proximal mounting surface 214b, which faces away from the distal mounting surface 214a. The first rotor 221 is fixedly connected to the proximal mounting surface 214b. This allows a single mounting platform 214 to simultaneously support both the first rotor 221 and the distal accessory 420, reducing the number of mounting structures on the shaft 210. Using the mounting platform 214 to support and fix the first rotor 221 further enhances the stability of the first rotor 221 installation.
[0136] The proximal mounting surface 214b is a plane proximal to the mounting platform 214 and is parallel to the distal mounting surface 214a. That is, both the proximal mounting surface 214b and the distal mounting surface 214a are perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating shaft 210. When the distal end face of the first rotor 221 is flush with the proximal mounting surface 214b of the mounting platform 214, the central axis of the first rotor 221 coincides with the central axis of the rotating shaft 210, eliminating the need for repeated calibration of their central axes during assembly.
[0137] The outer diameter of the mounting platform 214 is set to be equal to the outer diameter of the distal accessory 420 (i.e., the aforementioned first outer diameter D1). This reduces the volume of the mounting platform 214, reduces the space occupied by the mounting platform 214, and thus reduces the volume of the drive device 10. Of course, in some other embodiments, the outer diameter of the mounting platform 214 can be set to be larger than the outer diameter of the distal accessory 420 and smaller than the outer diameter of the first rotor 221. Alternatively, without considering the volume of the mounting platform 214, the outer diameter of the mounting platform 214 can also be set to be equal to the outer diameter of the first rotor 221 (i.e., the aforementioned second outer diameter).
[0138] Figure 20 illustrates a third embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. The drive device 10 in this third embodiment differs from the drive device 10 of the first embodiment in that the distal ball 430 is movably mounted on the distal bushing 410; the distal fitting 420 has an abutment wall 402, which abuts against the spherical surface 401 of the distal ball 430. Specifically, the distal bushing 410 has a mounting end face opposite to the abutment wall 402; the distal ball 430 is movably mounted on the distal bushing 410 and protrudes towards the abutment wall 402 (i.e., along the Y-direction) relative to the mounting end face of the distal bushing 410, abutting against the abutment wall 402.
[0139] Referring to Figure 20, the distal bushing 410 is also fixed in the mounting hole 103 of the housing 100. The distal fitting 420 is also housed in the receiving cavity 101 of the housing 100, with the distal wall of the distal fitting 420 facing the distal bushing 410, thereby forming an abutment wall 402.
[0140] Accordingly, the distal bushing 410 is provided with a plurality of distal mounting grooves 403, which surround the outer periphery of the distal shaft hole 411. Each distal mounting groove 403 contains at least one distal ball bearing 430, a portion of which extends from the opening of the distal mounting groove 403 to abut against the abutment wall 402 on the distal fitting 420. The shape and structure of the distal mounting groove 403 can be implemented with reference to the first embodiment described above, and essentially the same technical effects can be obtained; therefore, they will not be described in detail here.
[0141] Similarly, the structure, position and fixing method of the remote accessory 420 and the remote bushing 410 can be implemented with reference to the first embodiment mentioned above, and the same technical effect can be obtained. They will not be described in detail here.
[0142] Figures 21 to 23 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. In this fourth embodiment, the drive device 10 includes a housing 100, a rotating assembly 200, a stator 300, and a distal bearing 400. The rotating assembly 200 is rotatably mounted on the housing 100 and fixedly connected to the distal accessory 420. The rotating assembly 200 includes a rotating shaft 210 and a rotor 220 fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 210. The stator 300 is fixedly connected to the housing 100 and is capable of driving the rotor 220 to rotate. The distal bearing 400 includes a distal bushing 410, a distal fitting 420, and a distal spherical protrusion 440. The distal bushing 410 is fixed to the distal end of the housing 100, and the rotating shaft 210 rotatably passes through the distal bushing 410. The distal fitting 420 is housed inside the housing 100 and fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 210. The distal spherical protrusion 440 is fixed to one of the distal bushing 410 and the distal fitting 420. The other of the distal bushing 410 and the distal fitting 420 has an abutment wall 402, which abuts against the spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 axially. The axial abutment means that the abutment wall 402 and the spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 are axially opposite each other and abut against each other. That is, the drive device 10 in the fourth embodiment uses the distal spherical protrusion 440 instead of the distal ball bearing 430 in the first to third embodiments.
[0143] Specifically, one of the distal bushing 410 and the distal fitting 420, which has a distal spherical protrusion 440, has a mounting end face opposite to the abutment wall 402. The distal spherical protrusion 440 is fixed to the mounting end face and protrudes toward the abutment wall 402, thereby abutting against the abutment wall 402. It is understood that the distal spherical protrusion 440 is at least part of a sphere, and therefore has a spherical surface 401. When the rotating assembly 200 tends to move in the Y+ direction, the distal spherical protrusion 440 of the distal bearing 400 and the abutment wall 402 remain abutting, thereby preventing the rotating assembly 200 from moving in the Y+ direction and reducing the risk of axial displacement of the rotating assembly 200.
[0144] The aforementioned drive device 10 has a distal bearing 400 disposed at the distal end of the housing 100. The distal bearing 400 includes a distal fitting 420, a distal bushing 410, and a distal spherical protrusion 440. The distal bushing 410 is fixed to the distal end of the housing 100 and is rotatably engaged with the rotating shaft 210. The distal fitting 420 is housed inside the housing 100 and is fixedly connected to the rotating assembly 200. The distal spherical protrusion 440 is fixed to one of the distal fitting 420 and the distal bushing 410. The other of the distal fitting 420 and the distal bushing 410 has an abutment wall 402. The abutment wall 402 and the spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 abut against each other axially. Thus, during the start-up, shutdown, and operation of the drive unit 10, the distal spherical protrusion 440 of the distal bearing 400 remains axially abutting against the abutment wall 402, making it difficult for the rotating component 200 to undergo axial displacement. This prevents collisions between the rotating component 200 and the fixed components at the distal end of the housing 100, reducing the risk of drive unit 10 failure and extending its service life. On the other hand, the contact area between the spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 and the abutment wall 402 is small. When the shaft 210 rotates normally, the friction between the spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 and the abutment wall 402 is sliding friction, and the small contact area results in low frictional resistance, which reduces the power loss of the drive unit 10 and thus improves the efficiency of the drive unit 10.
[0145] Furthermore, if the shaft 210 experiences radial yaw, the spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 within the distal bearing 400 will roll radially relative to the abutment wall 402. Thus, the distal bushing 410, the distal fitting 420, and the distal spherical protrusion 440 together form an axial bearing. In this case, the friction between the distal spherical protrusion 440 and the abutment wall 402 is approximately rolling friction, resulting in low frictional resistance. This is more conducive to reducing the power loss of the drive device 10 and thereby improving the efficiency of the drive device 10.
[0146] Understandably, since the shaft 210 rotatably passes through the distal bushing 410, the distal bushing 410 should have a shaft hole through which the shaft 210 passes. Specifically, the distal bushing 410 has a distal shaft hole 411, and the distal shaft hole 411 is rotatably inserted into the distal shaft hole 411. Furthermore, the shaft 210 passes through the distal shaft hole 411 and has a connecting end 211 extending to the outside of the housing 210. The distal bushing 410 slides with the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 210 through the inner circumferential surface of the distal shaft hole 411, so the distal bushing 410 and the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 210 combine to form a radial sliding bearing. This radial sliding bearing can restrict the radial movement of the shaft 210 and reduce the radial wobble of the shaft 210. In other words, the distal bearing 400, through the combination of the distal bushing 410, the distal fitting 420, and the distal spherical protrusion 440, forms an axial bearing to restrict the axial movement of the rotating shaft 210; furthermore, the inner circumferential surface of the distal bushing 410, combined with the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210, forms a radial sliding bearing to restrict the radial movement of the rotating shaft 210. The cooperation between the axial ball bearing and the radial sliding bearing allows the rotating shaft 210 to rotate smoothly, improving the coaxiality of the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 and the central axis 11 of the housing 100 during operation, thereby reducing collisions between the rotating shaft 210 and the housing 100, and effectively reducing the risk of drive device 10 malfunction.
[0147] It should be noted that when the rotating shaft 210 rotates smoothly, the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 coincides with the central axis 11 of the housing 100. If the rotating shaft 210 experiences a small radial wobbling, the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 intersects with the central axis 11 of the housing 100.
[0148] The number of distal spherical protrusions 440 can be multiple. Multiple means two or more. Multiple distal spherical protrusions 440 are arranged around the rotating shaft 210. Multiple distal spherical protrusions 440 support the rotating assembly 200 from different directions, which can reduce the radial sway of the rotating assembly 200 and improve the stability of the rotating assembly 200 during operation.
[0149] Optionally, multiple distal spherical protrusions 440 are arranged at intervals around the rotating shaft 210. This allows the use of a smaller number of distal spherical protrusions 440. In this way, not only can the weight of the drive unit 10 be reduced, making the blood pump 1 lighter, but the power required to start the drive unit 10 can also be reduced, allowing the rotating assembly 200 to start smoothly.
[0150] For example, a gap is typically provided between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 210 and the inner peripheral surface of the distal shaft hole 411. This gap is used to allow flushing fluid inside the housing 100 to drain into the cannulation assembly 20 of the blood pump 1, preventing blood from flowing back into the housing 100. Due to the presence of this gap, the rotating shaft 210 may have a tendency to radially wobble when rotating. However, since multiple distal spherical protrusions 440 support the rotating assembly 200 from different directions, the risk of radial wobble in the rotating assembly 200 can be reduced, thereby minimizing the occurrence of radial wobble.
[0151] Understandably, even if the rotating assembly 200 experiences a slight radial sway, the distal bearing 400 will contact the abutment wall 402 with one of its distal spherical protrusions 440 as a fulcrum, while the distal spherical protrusion 440 on the opposite side will temporarily loosen from the abutment wall 402. This reduces the number of distal spherical protrusions 440 in contact with the abutment wall 402, thereby reducing the contact points between the distal fitting 420 and the distal bushing 410. Consequently, the resistance experienced by the rotating shaft 210 during swaying can be reduced, preventing the rotating shaft 210 from jamming and making it easier for the rotating shaft 210 to return to its original stable state.
[0152] Of course, in other embodiments, the plurality of distal spherical protrusions 440 may also be arranged in succession around the pivot 210.
[0153] The number of distal spherical protrusions 440 may also be one. For example, in some other embodiments, the distal bearing 400 includes only one distal spherical protrusion 440; the distal bearing 400 also includes at least one distal ball 430 (refer to the distal ball 430 in the first to third embodiments described above), the distal ball 430 and the one distal spherical protrusion 440 are arranged together around the shaft 210, both the distal ball 430 and the distal spherical protrusion 440 have a spherical surface 401, and the spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 of both abuts axially against the abutment wall 402 on the distal bushing 410.
[0154] In this embodiment, the distal bearing 400 is located between the connecting end 211 and the stator 300 or the rotor 220. In other words, the distal bearing 400 is disposed between the connecting end 211 and the stator 300; or, the distal bearing 400 is disposed between the connecting end 211 and the rotor 220. The distal fitting 420 of the distal bearing 400 can be fixedly connected to the shaft 210 or to the rotor 220.
[0155] Specifically, the distal bearing 400 is disposed between the connecting end 211 and the first rotor 221. The distal accessory 420 of the distal bearing 400 is fixedly connected to both the rotating shaft 210 and the first rotor 221. When the stator 300 drives the rotor 220 to rotate, the rotor 220 drives the rotating shaft 210 to rotate, and the distal accessory 420 rotates together with the rotating shaft 210, thereby rotating the distal accessory 420 relative to the distal bushing 410. During this process, the distal spherical protrusion 440 can slide relative to the abutment wall 402.
[0156] In this embodiment, the distal spherical protrusion 440 of the distal bearing 400 is fixed to the distal fitting 420; the distal bushing 410 has an abutment wall 402, which abuts against the distal spherical protrusion 440 on the distal fitting 420.
[0157] Since the distal spherical protrusion 440 is fixed to the distal accessory 420, it is not necessary to provide a distal mounting groove 403 as in the first embodiment on the distal accessory 420. Specifically, the distal spherical protrusion 440 is fixed to the first end face 421 of the distal accessory 420. Other structures, positions, and fixing methods of the distal accessory 420, as well as the structure, position, and fixing method of the distal bushing 410, can all be implemented with reference to the aforementioned first to third embodiments, and can also achieve basically the same technical effects, which will not be described in detail here. For example, the housing 100 is also provided with mounting holes 103 arranged axially with the receiving cavity 101. The distal bushing 410 is fixed in the mounting holes 103, and the distal accessory 420 is received in the receiving cavity 101 of the housing 100. The housing 100 is also provided with a proximal limiting groove 102 located between the receiving cavity 101 and the mounting hole 103, and there is a stepped surface 102a between the proximal limiting groove 102 and the mounting hole 103; the distal end of the distal accessory 420 extends into the proximal limiting groove 102 and is spaced apart from the stepped surface 102a by a first distance L1.
[0158] It is understood that the distal spherical protrusion 440 has at least a portion of a sphere, with a spherical surface formed on its outer peripheral surface. For example, the distal spherical protrusion 440 may be a hemisphere, i.e., half a sphere. Alternatively, the distal spherical protrusion 440 may be one-third or one-quarter of a sphere. The distal spherical protrusion 440 may be directly fixed to the first end face 421, with an arc-shaped transition at the junction of the spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 and the first end face 421.
[0159] Of course, in some other embodiments, the distal spherical protrusion 440 can also be fixed to the first end face 421 by a cylindrical section. Specifically, the cylinder is vertical, with its bottom end fixed to the end face (i.e., the first end face 421) of the distal accessory 420, and its top end connected to the distal spherical protrusion 440. The diameter of the cylinder is equal to the diameter of the sphere containing the distal spherical protrusion 440. It should be noted that the length of the cylinder should be as small as possible to avoid occupying too much axial space.
[0160] As for the size, position, and arrangement of the multiple distal spherical protrusions 440, they can be implemented with reference to the outer protrusion 432 of the distal ball 430 in the first to third embodiments described above, and the same technical effect can be achieved. For example:
[0161] The distal spherical protrusion 440 and the circumference of the rotating shaft 210 are radially spaced by a certain distance.
[0162] The spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 is a ceramic surface.
[0163] The diameter of the sphere containing the distal spherical protrusion 440 is 0.4 mm to 0.7 mm.
[0164] The distal spherical protrusion 440 protrudes from the end face (i.e., the first end face 421) of the distal accessory 420 at a height of 0.1mm to 0.2mm.
[0165] Multiple distal spherical protrusions 440 are arranged at equal intervals around the rotating shaft 210.
[0166] At least two of the distal spherical protrusions 440 are located on opposite sides of the pivot 210.
[0167] Multiple distal spherical protrusions 440 are spaced apart around the rotating shaft 210. For example, the rotating shaft 210 has a circumferential annular region 102 (such as the annular region 102 shown in Figures 11 and 12). The annular region 102 can be defined by an inner ring 102a and an outer ring 102b. The inner ring 102a and outer ring 102b are virtual boundaries defining the annular region 102, with the inner ring 102a located between the outer ring 102b and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210. The centers of the inner ring 102a and outer ring 102b are located on the central axis of the rotating shaft 210. The inner ring 102a and the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 are radially spaced apart. Multiple distal spherical protrusions 440 are spaced apart around the rotating shaft 210 within the annular region 102.
[0168] Optionally, the plurality of distal spherical protrusions 440 may be arranged at equal intervals around the rotating shaft 210 to form a plurality of uniformly distributed fulcrums in the circumference of the rotating shaft 210, making the rotating shaft 210 more stable in installation. Of course, in other embodiments, the plurality of distal balls 430 may also be arranged at non-equal intervals around the rotating shaft 210.
[0169] Optionally, at least two of the distal spherical protrusions 440 are located on opposite sides of the rotating shaft 210. This allows for at least one fulcrum on each opposite side of the rotating shaft 210 (such as the left and right sides or the front and rear sides), thereby reducing radial sway of the rotating shaft 210 between the opposite sides.
[0170] The number of distal spherical protrusions 440 can be 2 to 10. For example, but not limited to 3, 4, 5, 8, etc.
[0171] As shown in Figure 11, there are three distal spherical protrusions 440. These three distal spherical protrusions 440 are arranged at equal intervals around the rotating shaft 210, and the perpendicular connection line between the center of the three distal spherical protrusions 440 and the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 forms a Y shape.
[0172] As shown in Figure 12, there are four distal spherical protrusions 440. These four distal spherical protrusions 440 are arranged at equal intervals around the rotating shaft 210, and the perpendicular connection line between the center of the four distal spherical protrusions 440 and the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 forms a cross shape.
[0173] Referring to Figure 10, the diameter D of the sphere containing the distal spherical protrusion 440 f The diameter is 0.4mm to 0.7mm. For example, the diameter of the sphere containing the distal spherical protrusion 440 can be, but is not limited to, 0.45mm, 0.5mm, 0.55mm, 0.6mm, 0.65mm, or 0.7mm.
[0174] The spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 can be configured as a ceramic surface. Specifically, the distal spherical protrusion 440 is entirely made of ceramic material, thus making the spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440 a ceramic surface. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the distal spherical protrusion 440 can be made of a hard metal material, with an additional layer of ceramic material added to the spherical surface 401 to form the ceramic surface. Ceramic materials have high processing precision, high biocompatibility, high mechanical strength, and good wear and corrosion resistance.
[0175] For the abutting wall 402 that abuts against the distal spherical protrusion 440, the abutting wall 402 may be provided with an annular groove (not shown in the figure) surrounding the pivot 210, and a portion of the distal spherical protrusion 440 is received in the annular groove.
[0176] Of course, the annular groove is not mandatory. In this embodiment, the abutment wall 402 is set as a flat wall without a concave-convex structure. The abutment wall 402 is perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 and is tangent to the distal spherical protrusion 440. This ensures that each distal spherical protrusion 440 is tangent to the abutment wall 402, resulting in multiple scattered point contacts between the distal spherical protrusions 440 and the abutment wall 402. This results in a small contact area and low frictional resistance. Furthermore, if the rotating shaft 210 experiences radial wobbling, the distal spherical protrusions 440 can slide radially on the abutment wall 402, reducing the resistance to their movement, preventing the rotating shaft 210 from jamming, and making it easier for the rotating shaft 210 to return to its original stable state.
[0177] In this embodiment, since the distal bushing 410 is provided with an abutment wall 402, the distal shaft hole 411 on the distal bushing 410 penetrates the abutment wall 402. The connection between the inner circumferential surface of the distal shaft hole 411 and the abutment wall 402 is the inner end edge of the distal shaft hole 411. The abutment point F1 of any distal spherical protrusion 440 and the distal shaft hole 411 are radially spaced. The minimum radial distance between the abutment point F1 and the distal shaft hole 411 is the second distance L2. When the shaft 210 undergoes a small radial sway, the second distance L2 of one of the distal spherical protrusions 440 will decrease, and the distal spherical protrusion 440 may come into contact with the inner end edge of the distal shaft hole 411, resulting in significant friction when they come into contact.
[0178] Therefore, in this embodiment, the second distance L2 is set to be greater than or equal to 0.2 mm, i.e., L2 ≥ 0.2 mm. This reduces the likelihood of the distal spherical protrusion 440 contacting the inner edge of the distal shaft hole 411 when the shaft 210 experiences a small radial wobble, thereby reducing wear on the distal spherical protrusion 440. The maximum value of the second distance L2 is not limited and can be designed according to the diameter of the distal bushing 410.
[0179] The surface of the abutment wall 402 that contacts the distal spherical protrusion 440 can also be a ceramic surface. Specifically, the distal bushing 410 is entirely made of ceramic material, so that the abutment wall 402 accordingly becomes a ceramic surface. Of course, in other embodiments, the distal bushing 410 can be made of hard metal material, and an additional layer of ceramic material can be added to the abutment wall 402 of the distal bushing 410 to form the ceramic surface.
[0180] Of course, in other embodiments, the distal spherical protrusion 440 can be fixed to the proximal end face of the distal bushing 410; the distal end face of the distal fitting 420 is an abutment wall 402, and the abutment wall 402 abuts against the spherical surface 401 of the distal spherical protrusion 440.
[0181] In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the end of the rotating shaft 210 furthest from the connecting end 211 is a mounting end 212, which is rotatably mounted to the proximal end of the housing 100. Optionally, the proximal end of the housing 100 is provided with a movable groove 150; the mounting end 212 is provided with a ball head 213, which is rotatably mounted to the movable groove 150. The ball head 213 has a spherical crown surface 213a, which slides against the inner wall of the movable groove 150. The following description uses the structures shown in Figures 3 to 8 as examples.
[0182] Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the ball head 213 abuts against the inner wall of the movable groove 150, which can restrict the movement of the shaft 210 in the Y- direction; the distal end fitting 420 of the distal bearing 400 abuts against the distal end ball 430 and the distal end bushing 410, which can restrict the movement of the shaft 210 in the Y+ direction, thereby limiting the entire axial movement of the shaft 210 and making it less prone to axial movement. When the shaft 210 wobbles radially, the ball head 213 can roll within the movable groove 150, thereby reducing the resistance experienced by the shaft 210 within the movable groove 150. Of course, in other embodiments, the mounting end 212 of the shaft 210 can also abut against the proximal end face of the receiving cavity 101 of the housing 100 to restrict the movement of the shaft 210 in the Y- direction.
[0183] Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the movable groove 150 has a bottom wall 151 and a side wall 152. The spherical crown surface 213a of the ball head 213 slides against the bottom wall 151 and is also tangent to the side wall 152. The spherical crown surface 213a of the ball head 213 maintains sliding contact with the bottom wall 151, which can limit the movement of the rotating shaft 210 in the Y-direction; the tangency between the spherical crown surface 213a of the ball head 213 and the side wall 152 can reduce the resistance to the radial swing of the rotating shaft 210 and prevent jamming when the rotating shaft 210 swings radially.
[0184] The side wall 152 of the movable groove 150 is configured as a cylindrical surface. In this case, the contact between the spherical cap surface 213a of the ball head 213 and the side wall 152 can be considered as a line contact. Of course, in other embodiments, the side wall 152 may also be composed of at least three planes. In this case, the contact between the spherical cap surface 213a of the ball head 213 and the side wall 152 can be considered as a point contact.
[0185] The bottom wall 151 of the movable groove 150 is a flat wall perpendicular to the central axis 11 of the housing 100. This allows the spherical crown surface 213a of the ball head 213 to be tangent to the bottom wall 151, and the point of tangency between the spherical crown surface 213a and the bottom wall 151 is the contact position.
[0186] It is understandable that when the shaft 210 wobbles radially, if the resistance at both ends of the shaft 210 differs significantly, the two ends of the shaft 210 will swing at different angles, and the middle part of the shaft 210 is prone to bending and breaking. In this application, when the shaft 210 wobbles slightly to the right, the ball head 213 of the shaft 210 rolls clockwise within the movable groove 150; the end of the shaft 210 away from the ball head 213 swings with the distal ball 430 on the left side of the distal accessory 420 as the fulcrum, and during this process, the distal ball 430 on the left side can also roll in the same direction; and vice versa.
[0187] In summary, when the shaft 210 experiences a small radial sway, some of the distal balls 430 of the distal accessory 420 can roll synchronously with the ball head 213, and the contact points are all point contacts. Thus, the two ends of the shaft 210 can swing through approximately the same angle synchronously, which can prevent the middle part of the shaft 210 from being subjected to a large bending force and prevent the shaft 210 from being bent and broken.
[0188] Of course, the movable groove 150 can also have other shapes. For example, in other embodiments, the movable groove 150 can be a spherical groove, such that the inner wall surface of the movable groove 150 is a spherical groove wall. The diameter of the sphere containing the spherical crown surface 213a of the ball head 213 can be less than or equal to the diameter of the sphere containing the spherical groove wall.
[0189] Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the center of the ball head 213 is located on the central axis of the rotating shaft 210. The diameter of the ball head 213 is greater than or equal to the diameter of the rotating shaft 210, which ensures that the ball head 213 has greater strength, so that the ball head 213 can stably support the rotating shaft 210 and is not easy to break off from the rotating shaft 210, thereby improving the stability of the ball head 213 installed in the movable groove 150.
[0190] Referring to Figures 3 to 5, relative to the ball head 213, multiple distal balls 430 (or multiple distal spherical protrusions 440 in the embodiments shown in Figures 21 to 23) jointly support the rotating shaft 210. Therefore, the diameter of each distal ball 430 can be set to be smaller than the diameter of the ball head 213, so that the volume of the distal ball 430 is smaller, thereby reducing the volume of the entire distal accessory 420.
[0191] Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the annular region 102 containing multiple distal balls 430 (or multiple distal spherical protrusions 440 in the embodiments shown in Figures 21 to 23) is defined by an inner ring 102a and an outer ring 102b, the centers of which, along with the center of the ball head 213, are located on the central axis of the rotating shaft 210. The minimum radial distance from the multiple distal balls 430 to the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 (i.e., the diameter of the inner ring 102a) is greater than or equal to 1.5 times the radius of the ball head 213. This allows the multiple distal balls 430 and the ball head 213 to be approximately arranged on the conical tower configuration M (see Figure 14); wherein the multiple distal balls 430 are located around the bottom circumference of the conical tower configuration M, and the ball head 213 is located at the top of the conical tower configuration M. This arrangement makes the shaft 210 more stable, less prone to radial wobble, and reduces the occurrence of radial wobble.
[0192] Of course, the minimum radial distance can also be less than 2.5 times the radius of the ball head 213, in order to avoid the diameter of the far end bearing 400 being too large and to avoid the far end bearing 400 occupying a large radial space.
[0193] In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the drive device 10 further includes a fixed bushing 160, which is disposed at the proximal end of the housing 100. The fixed bushing 160 is connected and fixed to the housing 100, and the fixed bushing 160 is provided with the aforementioned movable groove 150. Optionally, the housing 100 further includes a fixing pin 140; the fixing pin 140 is fixed to the proximal end of the housing 100. The fixing pin 140 is provided with a fixing groove 141, and the fixed bushing 160 is installed in the fixing groove 141.
[0194] Figures 24 to 28-B illustrate a fifth embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. Unlike any of the embodiments described in the first to fourth embodiments, the fifth embodiment of the drive device 10 does not have a ball joint 213 at the mounting end 212 of the shaft 210. The drive device 10 includes a proximal bearing 500 disposed at the proximal end of the housing 100, and the stator 300 is located between the proximal bearing 500 and the distal bearing 400. The mounting end 212 of the shaft 210 is mounted on the proximal bearing 500. Alternatively, the proximal bearing 500 can be used to replace the aforementioned fixed bushing 160.
[0195] Referring to Figures 24 to 26, the proximal bearing 500 includes a proximal bushing 510, a proximal fitting 520, and a proximal ball 530. The proximal bushing 510 is fixedly connected to the proximal end of the housing 100. The proximal fitting 520 is located between the proximal bushing 510 and the stator 300, and is axially opposite to the proximal bushing 510 and capable of rotating relative to the proximal bushing 510. The rotating assembly 200 is fixedly connected to the proximal fitting 520 to drive the proximal fitting 520 to rotate. The proximal ball 530 is movably mounted on one of the proximal bushing 510 and the proximal fitting 520. The other of the proximal bushing 510 and the proximal fitting 520 has a mating wall 502, which abuts axially against the spherical surface 501 of the proximal ball 530. The axial abutment refers to the spherical surface 501 of the mating wall 502 and the proximal ball 530 being axially opposite and abutting against each other.
[0196] Specifically, one of the proximal ball bearings 510 and 520, in which the proximal ball bearing 530 is mounted, has a mounting end face opposite to the abutment wall 402. At least a portion of the distal ball bearing 430 protrudes toward the mating wall 502 relative to the mounting end face, thereby abutting against the mating wall 502. When the rotating assembly 200 tends to move in the Y-direction, the proximal ball bearing 530 of the proximal bearing 500 and the mating wall 502 remain abutting, thereby preventing the rotating assembly 200 from moving in the Y-direction and reducing the risk of axial displacement of the rotating assembly 200.
[0197] The aforementioned drive device 10 includes a proximal bearing 500 at the distal end of the housing 100. This proximal bearing 500 comprises a proximal bushing 510, a proximal fitting 520, and proximal balls 530. The proximal bushing 510 is fixedly connected to the proximal end of the housing 100. The proximal fitting 520 is located between the proximal bushing 510 and the stator 300, axially opposite to the proximal bushing 510, and fixedly connected to the rotating assembly 200. The proximal balls 530 are movably mounted on one of the proximal bushing 510 and the proximal fitting 520. The other of the proximal bushing 510 and the proximal fitting 520 has a mating wall 502, which axially abuts against the spherical surface 501 of the proximal ball 530. Thus, the proximal bushing 510, the proximal fitting 520, and the proximal balls 530 combine to form an axial ball bearing. During the start-up, shutdown, and operation of the drive unit 10, the axial ball bearing maintains axial contact with the abutment wall 402 through the proximal ball 530, making it difficult for the rotating component 200 to undergo axial displacement. This prevents collisions between the rotating component 200 and the fixed components at the proximal end of the housing 100, reducing the risk of drive unit 10 failure and extending its service life. Furthermore, when the rotating component 200 is working, the proximal ball 530 of the axial ball bearing can be driven by the rotating component 200 to roll. The friction between the proximal ball 530 and the mating wall 502 is rolling friction, which has low rolling friction resistance. This effectively reduces the resistance encountered by the rotating component 200 during rotation, reduces the power loss of the drive unit 10 in overcoming resistance, and improves the working efficiency of the drive unit 10.
[0198] The number of proximal balls 530 can be multiple. In this application, "multiple" means two or more. Multiple proximal balls 530 are arranged around the central axis of the rotating assembly 200. The multiple proximal balls 530 of the axial ball bearing jointly support the rotating assembly 200 from different positions around the central axis of the rotating assembly 200, effectively preventing radial runout of the shaft 210 and enabling the rotating assembly 200 to operate smoothly.
[0199] Optionally, multiple proximal balls 530 are arranged at intervals around the central axis of the rotating assembly 200. This allows the use of a smaller number of proximal balls 530. As a result, not only can the weight of the drive unit 10 be reduced, making the blood pump 1 lighter, but the power required to start the drive unit 10 can also be reduced, allowing the rotating assembly 200 to start smoothly.
[0200] Typically, the distal end of the housing 100 (specifically, the distal bushing 410) is provided with a distal shaft hole 411. The rotating shaft 210 of the rotating assembly 200 passes through the distal shaft hole 411, and a gap is reserved between the rotating shaft 210 and the inner circumferential surface of the distal shaft hole 411. This gap is used to allow the flushing fluid inside the housing 100 to drain into the cannulation assembly 20 of the blood pump 1, thereby preventing blood from flowing back into the housing 100. Due to the presence of the gap, the rotating shaft 210 may have a tendency to radially wobble when rotating. However, in this application, since the multiple proximal balls 530 of the proximal bearing 500 jointly support the rotating assembly 200 at different positions around the central axis 11 of the rotating assembly 200, the risk of radial wobble of the rotating assembly 200 can be reduced, thereby reducing the occurrence of radial wobble.
[0201] Furthermore, in conjunction with the aforementioned distal bearing 400, the multiple distal balls 430 (or distal spherical protrusions 440) of the distal bearing 400 form multiple support points on the distal outer periphery of the rotating shaft 210, while the multiple proximal balls 530 of the proximal bearing 500 form multiple support points on the proximal outer periphery of the rotating shaft 210. This ensures that both ends of the rotating shaft 210 are supported by multiple support points, making the rotating assembly 200 less prone to radial wobble. Theoretically, even if the rotating assembly 200 exhibits a tendency for radial wobble, the multiple proximal balls 530 and the multiple distal balls 430 (or distal spherical protrusions 440) roll (or slide) in the same direction relative to each other, allowing both ends of the rotating shaft 210 to simultaneously make slight radial movements (i.e., radial translation of the central axis of the rotating shaft 210) without wobble, reducing the likelihood of the rotating shaft 210 jamming or seizing.
[0202] Even if the rotating assembly 200 experiences a slight radial wobble, the distal bearing 400 will contact the mating wall 502 with one of its proximal balls 530 as the fulcrum, while the proximal balls 530 on the opposite side will temporarily loosen from the mating wall 502. This reduces the number of proximal balls 530 in contact with the mating wall 502, thereby reducing the contact points between the proximal fitting 520 and the proximal bushing 510. Consequently, the resistance experienced by the rotating shaft 210 during wobble can be reduced, preventing the rotating shaft 210 from jamming and making it easier for the rotating shaft 210 to return to its original stable state.
[0203] It is understood that the number of proximal balls 530 can also be one. For example, in some other embodiments, the proximal bearing 500 includes only one proximal ball 530 and at least one fixed proximal spherical protrusion (not shown in the figure, but can be specifically designed with reference to the aforementioned distal spherical protrusion 440). The proximal spherical protrusion and the proximal ball 530 are arranged together around the shaft 210. Both the proximal spherical protrusion and the proximal ball 530 have a spherical surface 501, and both of their spherical surfaces 501 abut against the abutment wall 402 of the proximal fitting 520 axially.
[0204] Specifically, in this fifth embodiment, the proximal fitting 520 of the proximal bearing 500 has a mating wall 502; the proximal bushing 510 has a mounting end face (i.e., a second end face 511) opposite to the mating wall 502. The proximal ball 530 is movably mounted on the proximal bushing 510, and the proximal ball 530 protrudes toward the mating wall 502 (i.e., along the Y+ direction) relative to the mounting end face and abuts against the mating wall 502.
[0205] Specifically, the housing 100 also includes a retaining pin 140; the retaining pin 140 is fixed to the proximal end of the housing 100. The retaining pin 140 is provided with a retaining groove 141, and the proximal end bushing 510 is installed in the retaining groove 141.
[0206] Referring to Figures 25 and 27-A to 27-C, the proximal fitting 520 is configured as a disc-shaped structure. The proximal fitting 520 is housed in the receiving cavity 101 of the housing 100. Since the proximal ball 530 is movably mounted on the proximal bushing 510, the proximal end of the proximal fitting 520 facing the proximal bushing 510 is a mating wall 502, which is located on the distal side of the proximal ball 530 and abuts against the proximal ball 530.
[0207] Optionally, the distal end of the proximal fitting 520 is fixedly connected to the proximal end of the rotating shaft 210. The proximal end of the proximal fitting 520 is provided with a rotating post 522, which is coaxial with the rotating shaft 210 and rotatably passes through the proximal bushing 510. Specifically, the proximal bushing 510 is provided with a proximal shaft hole 512, which rotatably engages with the rotating post 522. Correspondingly, a plurality of proximal ball bearings 530 are arranged around the rotating post 522.
[0208] The proximal accessory 520 can be an independent component, meaning it is separately formed from the rotating shaft 210. The proximal accessory 520 can be connected and fixed to the rotating shaft 210 by welding or bonding. In some embodiments, the proximal accessory 520 can also be integrally formed with the rotating shaft 210. However, in this embodiment, the proximal accessory 520 and the rotating shaft 210 are separately formed. Specifically, the distal end of the proximal accessory 520 is provided with a socket 521, and the proximal end of the rotating shaft 210 is fixed in the socket 521. The proximal end of the rotating shaft 210 and the socket 521 are welded together or bonded with filler adhesive.
[0209] Optionally, the socket 521 is a blind hole, and the socket 521 has a bottom wall 521a; the proximal end of the rotating shaft 210 is a mounting end 212, which is fixed in the socket 521, and the end face of the mounting end 212 abuts against the bottom wall 521a.
[0210] Typically, in some conventional technologies, the proximal end of the rotating shaft 210 is provided with a ball head, and the proximal end of the housing 100 is provided with a movable groove, so that the ball head of the rotating shaft 210 is installed in the movable groove, the ball head abuts against the inner wall of the movable groove and can move within the movable groove. Since the distal end of the rotating shaft 210 passes through the shaft hole at the distal end of the housing 100, when the ball head of the rotating shaft 210 is installed into the movable groove, the rotating shaft 210 and the movable groove need to maintain a high degree of coaxiality in order for the ball head of the rotating shaft 210 to be smoothly installed into the movable groove. In other words, the method of assembling the rotating shaft 210 of the drive device 10 in the conventional technology with the ball head and the movable groove requires a high degree of coaxiality between the rotating shaft 210 and the movable groove, which increases the manufacturing difficulty of the drive device 10.
[0211] In contrast, in this embodiment, the proximal end of the rotating shaft 210 of the drive device 10 does not need to be provided with a ball head. The proximal end of the rotating shaft 210 can be directly fixed to the insertion hole 521 of the proximal accessory 520. The proximal end of the rotating shaft 210 does not need to move against the inner wall of the insertion hole 521. Therefore, the coaxiality requirement between the rotating shaft 210 and the insertion hole 521 is smaller. Furthermore, during the assembly process, the multiple proximal balls 530 between the proximal accessory 520 and the proximal bushing 510 roll relative to the mating wall 502, which can finely adjust the position of the proximal accessory 520 (i.e., the position of the rotating column 522) so that the rotating column 522 and the proximal bushing 510 tend to be coaxial. In this way, the assembly difficulty of the proximal accessory 520 and the proximal bushing 510 can be reduced. Therefore, the near-end bearing 500 can reduce the coaxiality requirement between the shaft 210 and the near-end bearing 500 when installing the shaft 210 by the rolling of the near-end ball 530, thereby reducing the assembly difficulty of the shaft 210 and improving the assembly efficiency.
[0212] Of course, the rotating column 522 is not necessary. In other embodiments, the rotating shaft 210 may pass through the proximal fitting 520, such that the proximal end of the rotating shaft 210 is rotatably inserted into the proximal shaft hole 512 of the proximal bushing 510; in this case, a plurality of proximal balls 530 are arranged at intervals around the rotating shaft 210.
[0213] Referring to Figure 25, the near end of the housing 100 is also provided with a near-side limiting groove 143, which is located far from the fixing groove 141. The diameter of the near-side limiting groove 143 is larger than the diameter of the fixing groove 141. The near-end fitting 520 is at least partially housed in the near-side limiting groove 143, and there is a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the near-end fitting 520 and the inner peripheral surface of the near-side limiting groove 143.
[0214] Due to the presence of the gap, when the rotating assembly 200 drives the proximal accessory 520 to rotate, the outer peripheral surface of the proximal accessory 520 is less likely to contact the inner peripheral surface of the proximal limiting groove 143, thus preventing friction between the proximal accessory 520 and the inner peripheral surface of the proximal limiting groove 143. Furthermore, since the proximal accessory 520 is confined to rotating within the proximal limiting groove 143, the rotating assembly 200 is less prone to significant swaying.
[0215] Referring to Figures 25, 28-A, and 28-B, the proximal bushing 510 is an independent component and can be connected and fixed to the housing 100 by means of bonding, welding, or other methods. Optionally, the proximal end of the housing 100 is provided with a fixing pin 140, and the fixing pin 140 is provided with a fixing groove 141; the proximal bushing 510 is installed in the fixing groove 141. Of course, in some other embodiments, the proximal bushing 510 can be a component integrally formed with the housing 100.
[0216] The proximal bushing 510 has a second end face 511, and the second end face 511 and the mating wall 502 of the proximal fitting 520 are axially opposed and spaced apart. A plurality of proximal balls 530 are movably mounted on the proximal bushing 510, and a portion of each proximal ball 530 protrudes from the first end face 421, that is, a portion of the proximal ball 530 is located between the second end face 511 and the mating wall 502 to abut against the mating wall 502.
[0217] Referring to Figures 25, 28-A, and 28-B, the proximal bushing 510 is provided with a proximal mounting groove 503, which has an opening 503c. A proximal ball 530 is correspondingly mounted in the proximal mounting groove 503. A portion of the outer peripheral surface of the proximal ball 530 extends outward from the opening 503c of the proximal mounting groove 503, such that the proximal ball 530 has an inner portion 532 received inside the proximal mounting groove 503 and an outer protrusion 531 extending outside the proximal mounting groove 503. The spherical surface 501 on the outer protrusion 531 abuts against the mating wall 502.
[0218] It is understandable that the proximal ball 530 is a sphere. The entire outer peripheral wall of the proximal ball 530 is a spherical surface. Therefore, no matter which direction the proximal ball 530 rolls or to which position it rolls, the proximal ball 530 will have an outward protrusion 531 located outside the proximal mounting groove 503, and the spherical surface 501 on the outward protrusion 531 can abut against the mating wall 502.
[0219] In this embodiment, the proximal bushing 510 is provided with multiple proximal mounting slots 503, which are arranged at intervals around the rotating shaft. At least one proximal ball bearing 530 is installed in each proximal mounting slot 503. Since the multiple proximal balls 530 are installed in different proximal mounting slots 503, the proximal balls 530 in each proximal mounting slot 503 do not interfere with each other. When the rotating assembly 200 rotates, the multiple proximal balls 530 are driven by the rotating assembly 200 to roll in their respective proximal mounting slots 503. The proximal balls 530 in any two adjacent proximal mounting slots 503 will not squeeze or pile up against each other, allowing each proximal ball 530 to roll freely. Therefore, the proximal balls 530 in different positions can adapt their movement according to the magnitude and direction of the force they receive. Furthermore, this reduces the power required to start the drive device 10, allowing the rotating assembly 200 to start smoothly.
[0220] Of course, in other embodiments, the proximal bushing 510 may also have only one proximal mounting groove 503, which is annularly arranged around the central axis of the rotating assembly 200. A plurality of proximal balls 530 are installed in the proximal mounting groove 503, and the plurality of proximal balls 530 surround the central axis of the rotating assembly 200.
[0221] Referring to Figures 26, 28-A, and 28-B, the protruding portion 531 of the proximal ball 530 has an abutment point N1 for the mating wall 502 to abut. The axial distance between the abutment point N1 and the groove 503c is also the axial height H of the proximal ball 530 protruding outward from the groove 503c of the proximal mounting groove 503. n1 If the axial height H n1 If the distance is too small, the gap between the second end face 511 and the mating wall 502 will be small, and the two are prone to interference, affecting the smoothness of the rotation of the shaft 210.
[0222] Therefore, optionally, the axial height H n1 Set to be greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the radius of the proximal ball 530. Therefore, H n1 ≥1 / 3R; where R=1 / 2D n R represents the radius of the proximal ball bearing 530, D n This indicates the diameter of the proximal ball 530. This ensures that after the protrusion 531 abuts against the mating wall 502, there is a sufficient gap between the second end face 511 and the mating wall 502, making it less likely for them to interfere with each other and improving the rotational stability of the shaft 210.
[0223] Of course, the axial height H n1It should not be designed to be too large, otherwise it will occupy a large amount of axial space in the housing 100; and, when the proximal ball 530 moves, the proximal ball 530 may fall out of the proximal mounting groove 503. Therefore, optionally, the axial height H n1 The radius of the proximal ball bearing is smaller than 530, i.e., H. n1 <R. This ensures that the volume of the inner portion 532 of the proximal ball 530 is at least half the volume of the proximal ball 530, so that the center of the proximal ball 530 will fall inside the proximal mounting groove 503, thereby reducing the risk of the proximal ball 530 falling out of the proximal mounting groove 503.
[0224] Referring to Figures 26, 28-A, and 28-B, the proximal mounting groove 503 has a groove bottom wall 503a and a groove side wall 503b arranged circumferentially along the groove bottom wall 503a; the built-in portion 532 of the proximal ball 530 abuts against the groove bottom wall 503a, and the built-in portion 532 of the proximal ball 530 is also tangent to the groove side wall 503b.
[0225] The bottom wall 503a of the groove is a flat wall perpendicular to the central axis of the proximal bushing 510. The proximal ball 530 is tangent to the bottom wall 503a of the groove, and the tangent position is the abutment position. In other embodiments, the bottom wall 503a of the groove can be a spherical wall.
[0226] The groove sidewall 503b is perpendicular to the groove bottom wall 503a. The groove sidewall 503b can be a cylindrical surface, in which case the contact between the proximal ball 530 and the groove sidewall 503b is a line contact. The groove sidewall 503b can also be composed of multiple planes, in which case the contact between the proximal ball 530 and the groove sidewall 503b is a point contact. In other embodiments, the groove sidewall 503b can form an inclined angle with the groove bottom wall 503a.
[0227] The position where the inner portion 532 of the proximal ball 530 is tangent to the groove sidewall 503b is defined as the cutting position N2, and the cutting position N2 has a cutting depth H from the groove opening 503c of the proximal mounting groove 503. n2 Obviously, the cutting depth H n2 The radius R (i.e., H) needs to be smaller than that of the proximal ball bearing 530. n2 <R, R = 1 / 2D n D n The diameter of the proximal ball 530 is required to allow a portion of the proximal ball 530 to protrude outward from the opening 503c of the proximal mounting groove 503, forming an outward protrusion 531. However, the cutting depth H... n2 It should not be too small, otherwise the proximal ball bearing 530 may easily fall out of the proximal mounting groove 503.
[0228] Therefore, optionally, the cutting depth H n2Greater than or equal to 1 / 2 times the radius of the proximal ball bearing 530, i.e., 1 / 2R≤H n2 <R. This allows the volume of the inner portion 532 of the proximal ball 530 to be greater than half the volume of the proximal ball 530. With this configuration, the center of the proximal ball 530 will fall inside the proximal mounting groove 503, thereby reducing the risk of the proximal ball 530 falling out of the proximal mounting groove 503.
[0229] Understandably, the cutting depth H n2 and axial height H n1 The sum equals the radius R of the proximal ball bearing 530, i.e., H. n1 +H n2 =R. Furthermore, the cutting depth H n2 It is also greater than the axial height H n1 Therefore, 1 / 3R≤H n1 <H n2 <R. This configuration ensures that the proximal ball 530 is not easily dislodged from the proximal mounting groove 503, and also ensures that the protruding part 531 of the proximal ball 530 has sufficient height to abut against the mating wall 502.
[0230] Referring to Figures 26, 28-A, and 28-B, a plurality of proximal balls 530 are arranged along an annular region on the outer periphery of the rotating column 522. The plurality of proximal balls 530 may be arranged at equal intervals or at non-equal intervals within the annular region. Optionally, at least two of the proximal balls 530 are located on opposite sides of the rotating shaft 210. This provides at least one fulcrum on each opposite side of the rotating column 522 (e.g., left and right sides or front and rear sides), thereby reducing radial sway of the rotating column 522 along the left and right sides.
[0231] The number of proximal ball bearings 530 can be 2 to 10. For example, but not limited to 3, 4, 5, 8, etc.
[0232] When there are three proximal balls 530, these three proximal balls 530 are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis of the rotating assembly 200 (specifically, around the rotating column 522 or the rotating shaft 210), and the perpendicular connection line between the center of the three proximal balls 530 and the central axis of the rotating assembly 200 forms a Y shape. The three proximal balls 530 provide good positioning for the rotating assembly 200, and the power required for starting the rotating assembly 200 is very small, resulting in a smoother start-up.
[0233] When there are 4 proximal balls 530, these 4 proximal balls 530 are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis of the rotating assembly 200 (specifically, around the rotating column 522 or the rotating shaft 210), and the vertical connection line between the center of the 4 proximal balls 530 and the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 forms a cross shape.
[0234] The diameter D of the proximal ball bearing 530 n The thickness can be selected from 0.4mm to 0.7mm, that is, 0.4mm ≤ D. n ≤0.7mm. For example, diameter D n The values can be, but are not limited to, 0.45mm, 0.5mm, 0.55mm, 0.6mm, 0.65mm, and 0.7mm.
[0235] The outer peripheral surface (i.e., spherical surface 401) of the proximal ball 530 can be configured as a ceramic surface. Specifically, the entire proximal ball 530 is made of ceramic material, thus the spherical surface 401 of the proximal ball 530 becomes a ceramic surface. Of course, in other embodiments, the proximal ball 530 can be made of hard metal material, and a layer of ceramic material can be added to the spherical surface 401 of the proximal ball 530, so that the spherical surface 401 forms the ceramic surface. Ceramic materials have high processing precision, high biocompatibility, high mechanical strength, and good wear resistance and corrosion resistance.
[0236] Referring to Figures 26, 28-A, and 28-B, the mating wall 502 that abuts against the proximal ball 530 may be provided with an annular groove 504, which surrounds the central axis of the rotating assembly 200. A portion of the proximal ball 530 is accommodated within the annular groove 504 and abuts against the bottom wall of the annular groove 504.
[0237] Specifically, since the rotating column 522 and the rotating assembly 200 are coaxial, the annular groove 504 surrounds the rotating column 522. The portions of the proximal balls 530 that protrude from the proximal bushing 510 (i.e., the outward protrusions 531) are accommodated within the annular groove 504. When the rotating assembly 200 rotates, the proximal balls 530 are confined within the annular groove 504, thus preventing the rotating assembly 200 from radially wobbling.
[0238] Referring to Figures 25 and 26, the annular groove 504 has an annular bottom wall 504a and annular side walls 504b located on both sides of the annular bottom wall 504a. Optionally, the annular bottom wall 504a is perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 and tangent to the outward protrusion 531 of the proximal ball 530. This reduces the contact area between the proximal ball 530 and the annular bottom wall 504a, thereby reducing frictional resistance.
[0239] Optionally, the depth of the annular groove 504 gradually decreases in the direction from the proximal bushing 510 to the proximal fitting 520. The annular sidewall 504b is concave. The annular sidewall 504b is recessed away from the outward protrusion 531. This reduces the contact area between the spherical surface 501 of the proximal ball 530 and the annular sidewall 504b, thereby reducing the resistance of the proximal ball 530 moving within the annular groove 504.
[0240] Alternatively, the annular groove 504 is provided with a rounded wall 504c at the opening to avoid the formation of sharp corners at the opening of the annular groove 504, and to prevent excessive wear when the near-end ball 530 contacts this position.
[0241] The annular groove 504 is not essential. In other embodiments, the mating wall 502 is configured as a flat wall without any protrusions or recesses (such as the annular groove 504), and the mating wall 502 is perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating shaft 210, such that the mating wall 502 and the proximal ball 530 are tangent. This configuration results in multiple scattered point contacts between the proximal balls 530 and the mating wall 502, leading to a small contact area and lower frictional resistance. Furthermore, if the rotating shaft 210 experiences radial wobbling, the proximal balls 530 can roll radially on the mating wall 502, reducing the resistance to their movement, preventing the rotating shaft 210 from jamming, and making it easier for the rotating shaft 210 to return to its original stable state.
[0242] The surfaces that contact the mating wall 502 and the proximal ball 530 can also be ceramic surfaces. Specifically, the entire proximal accessory 520 is made of ceramic material, thus the mating wall 502 becomes a ceramic surface accordingly. Of course, in other embodiments, the proximal accessory 520 can be made of hard metal material, and a layer of ceramic material can be added to the surface of the mating wall 502 of the proximal accessory 520 to form the ceramic surface.
[0243] Referring to Figures 25 and 26, since the proximal ball 530 is installed in the proximal mounting groove 503, and a portion of the proximal ball 530 extends from the groove opening 503c of the proximal mounting groove 503, to prevent the proximal ball 530 from falling out of the proximal mounting groove 503, in this embodiment, the rotating column 522 rotatably passes through the proximal shaft hole 512 of the proximal bushing 510; the proximal end of the rotating column 522 is located on the side of the proximal bushing 510 opposite to the proximal fitting 520; the proximal bearing 500 also includes a limiting member 523, which is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating column 522 and can abut against the proximal bushing 510.
[0244] Specifically, the limiting member 523 has a limiting surface 523a, which can abut against the proximal bushing 510. During assembly, the proximal ball 530 can be first installed into the proximal mounting groove 503 of the proximal bushing 510; the rotating column 522 of the proximal accessory 520 can be inserted into the proximal shaft hole 512 of the proximal bushing 510; then the limiting member 523 and the rotating column 522 can be connected and fixed, so that the proximal accessory 520, the proximal bushing 510, the proximal ball 530 and the limiting member 523 are assembled into a whole proximal bearing 500. This allows the proximal bushing 510 to be clamped between the proximal end face of the proximal accessory 520 and the limiting surface 523a of the limiting member 523. During the installation of the proximal bearing 500, the proximal ball 530 is less likely to fall out of the proximal mounting groove 503, thereby reducing the difficulty of installing the proximal bearing 500 and improving assembly efficiency.
[0245] Furthermore, when the shaft 210 is offset along the Y+ direction, the limiting surface 523a of the limiting member 523 abuts against the proximal bushing 510 to limit the shaft 210 from continuing to offset along the Y+ direction, so that the offset of the shaft 210 is smaller and the operation of the shaft 210 is more stable; and it can prevent the gap between the proximal accessory 520 and the proximal bushing 510 from increasing, effectively preventing the proximal ball 530 from falling out of the proximal mounting groove 503.
[0246] The limiting member 523 is preferably made of a hard material. The hard material can be a metal or a ceramic material. The limiting member 523 can be annular. In other embodiments, the limiting member 523 can also be a C-shaped open ring, such as an E-ring. Alternatively, the limiting member 523 can also be a radially protruding post on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating post 522.
[0247] Referring to Figures 25 and 26, a settling tank 142 is provided at the bottom of the fixed tank 141, and the settling tank 142 is connected to the flushing pipeline of the conduit 40. A fluid channel is provided on the side wall of the fixed tank 141, which connects the settling tank 142 and the flushing flow channel inside the housing 100. The limiting member 523 is received in the settling tank 142.
[0248] Preferably, at least one of the proximal ends of the limiting member 523 and the rotating column 522 abuts against the bottom of the settling tank 142, thereby restricting the movement of the rotating column 522 in the Y-direction and reducing axial displacement of the rotating shaft 210. The outer diameter of the limiting member 523 can be smaller than the inner diameter of the settling tank 142, so that a space for the flushing fluid to flow is created between the outer peripheral surface of the limiting member 523 and the inner wall surface of the settling tank 142. The bottom of the settling tank 142 is provided with a liquid inlet (not shown in the figure), which is connected to the flushing pipeline. The limiting member 523 does not obstruct the liquid inlet.
[0249] Figure 29 illustrates a sixth embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. The drive device 10 in this sixth embodiment differs from the drive device 10 in the aforementioned fifth embodiment in that the proximal ball 530 is movably mounted to the proximal fitting 520; the proximal bushing 510 has a mating wall 502, which abuts against the spherical surface 501 of the proximal ball 530. Specifically, the proximal fitting 520 has a mounting end face opposite to the mating wall 502; the proximal ball 530 is movably mounted to the proximal fitting 520, and the proximal ball 530 protrudes towards the mating wall 502 (i.e., along the Y-direction) relative to the mounting end face, abutting against the mating wall 502.
[0250] The proximal accessory 520 is also housed inside the housing 100. Since the proximal ball 530 is movably mounted in the proximal accessory 520, the proximal accessory 520 is correspondingly provided with a plurality of proximal mounting slots 503, which are spaced apart around the rotating column 522. Each proximal mounting slot 503 contains at least one proximal ball 530, a portion of which extends from the opening of the slot to abut against the abutment wall 402 on the proximal accessory 520. The shape and structure of the proximal mounting slot 503 can be implemented with reference to the first embodiment described above, and essentially the same technical effects can be obtained; therefore, they will not be described in detail here.
[0251] The proximal bushing 510 is fixed in the fixing groove 141 of the housing 100. The distal wall of the proximal bushing 510 faces the proximal fitting 520, thereby forming a mating wall 502. Similarly, the structure, position, and fixing method of the distal bushing 410 and the distal fitting 420 can be implemented with reference to the first embodiment described above, and the same technical effects can be obtained. They will not be described in detail here. For example, the proximal fitting 520 is provided with a rotating column 522 and a socket 521 as in the fifth embodiment described above; the proximal end (i.e., the mounting end 212) of the rotating shaft 210 is fixed in the socket 521; the rotating column 522 is rotatably engaged with the proximal shaft hole 512 provided on the proximal bushing 510. The structure, position, and mating method of the rotating column 522, the socket 521, and the proximal shaft hole 512 can be implemented with reference to the first embodiment described above, and will not be described in detail here.
[0252] Figures 30 to 35 illustrate a seventh embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. Referring to Figures 30 and 31, the drive device 10 includes a housing 100, a rotating assembly 200, a stator 300, a distal bearing 400, and an auxiliary bearing 600. The rotating assembly 200 is rotatably mounted on the housing 100; the stator 300 is fixed to the housing 100 and is capable of driving the rotor 220 to rotate. The distal bearing 400 is disposed at the distal end of the housing 100 and adjacent to the connection end 211 of the rotating assembly 200; the auxiliary bearing 600 is located between the distal bearing 400 and the stator 300; the rotating assembly 200 passes through the distal bearing 400 and the auxiliary bearing 600, such that the auxiliary bearing 600 and the distal bearing 400 can jointly support the rotation of the rotating assembly 200.
[0253] When the rotating assembly 200 rotates, the portion of the rotating assembly 200 adjacent to the connecting end 211 outputs torque to the impeller 50, making it more prone to radial sway. Therefore, in the seventh embodiment of this application, by adding an auxiliary bearing 600 between the distal bearing 400 and the stator 300, the rotation of the rotating assembly 200 can be supported by both the auxiliary bearing 600 and the distal bearing 400. This increases the strength of the rotating assembly 200, thereby reducing the risk of radial sway, improving the stability of the rotating assembly 200's operation, and ultimately improving the operating efficiency of the drive device 10.
[0254] In this embodiment, the structures of the housing 100, the rotating assembly 200, and the stator 300 can be implemented with reference to any of the above embodiments. The distal bearing 400 can be a distal bearing 400 with distal balls 430 as listed in any of the first to third embodiments above, or a distal bearing 400 with distal spherical protrusions 440 as listed in any of the fourth to sixth embodiments above. Specifically, the distal bearing 400 here is a distal bearing 400 with distal balls 430, as detailed in the first to third embodiments, and will not be repeated here.
[0255] As described above, the distal bearing 400 restricts the movement of the rotating assembly 200 along the direction from the proximal end to its distal end of the housing 100 (i.e., the Y+ direction). In some embodiments (such as the first to sixth embodiments described above), the proximal end (i.e., the mounting end 212) of the rotating assembly 200 can be mounted on a support member located at the proximal end of the housing 100. The support member can be a fixed bushing 160 (see FIG. 3) or a proximal bearing 500 (see FIG. 24). The support member restricts the movement of the rotating assembly 200 along the direction from the distal end to its proximal end of the housing 100 (i.e., the Y- direction), thereby cooperating with the support member and the distal bearing 400 to keep the rotating assembly 200 axially stable.
[0256] Considering that during the manufacturing or assembly of the drive unit 10, the support component and the distal bearing 400 need to maintain a high degree of coaxiality (i.e., the central axis of the support component and the central axis of the distal bearing 400 are on the same straight line), accurate connection of the two ends of the rotating assembly 200 to the support component and the distal bearing 400 respectively is necessary during assembly. Furthermore, the axial distance between the support component and the distal bearing 400 is relatively large and they are separated by the stator 300. Thus, the precision requirements for the structure and installation of the support component and the distal bearing 400 are increased during manufacturing, potentially posing manufacturing difficulties. Subsequent assembly will also make it difficult to calibrate the coaxiality of the support component and the distal bearing 400, further increasing the manufacturing difficulty of the drive unit 10 and reducing its manufacturing efficiency.
[0257] Referring to Figures 30 to 32, in view of the above, in this embodiment, the auxiliary bearing 600 is configured to at least limit the movement of the rotating assembly 200 in the direction from the distal end to its proximal end of the housing 100 (i.e., the Y-direction). When the rotating assembly 200 tends to move in the Y+ direction, the distal ball 430 (or distal spherical protrusion 440) of the distal bearing 400 and the abutment wall 402 abut against each other axially, thereby limiting the movement of the rotating assembly 200 in the Y+ direction and making it difficult for the rotating assembly 200 to be displaced in the Y+ direction. When the rotating assembly 200 tends to move in the Y- direction, the auxiliary bearing 600 limits the movement of the shaft 210 in the Y- direction, making it difficult for the rotating assembly 200 to be displaced in the Y- direction.
[0258] Therefore, by cooperating with the auxiliary bearing 600 and the distal bearing 400, the movement of the rotating assembly 200 along the Y+ and Y- directions can be restricted, preventing the rotating assembly 200 from easily undergoing axial displacement. Thus, the proximal end of the rotating assembly 200 does not need to be mounted on any supporting component (such as a bushing or bearing), thereby eliminating the need for such supporting components and allowing the proximal end of the rotating assembly 200 to be suspended inside the housing 100 (see Figures 30 and 32). When manufacturing or assembling the drive unit 10, the coaxiality of the supporting component and the distal bearing 400 does not need to be considered.
[0259] Furthermore, since the auxiliary bearing 600 is located between the distal bearing 400 and the stator 300, it is relatively close to the distal bearing 400. As a result, the axial distance between the auxiliary bearing 600 and the distal bearing 400 is small, and they are both located on the same side of the stator 300 without being separated by the stator 300. During manufacturing and assembly, it is easier to adjust the coaxiality of the auxiliary bearing 600 and the distal bearing 400, which reduces the coaxiality requirement of the auxiliary bearing 600 and the distal bearing 400, thereby effectively improving the manufacturing efficiency of the drive device 10.
[0260] As for the auxiliary bearing 600, it can adopt the same or similar structure as the distal bearing 400. As long as the auxiliary bearing 600 can restrict the movement of the rotating assembly 200 in the Y-direction (i.e., in the direction from the distal bearing 400 to the stator 300).
[0261] Referring to Figures 30 and 31, in this embodiment, the auxiliary bearing 600 includes an auxiliary base 610, an auxiliary accessory 620, and an auxiliary spherical component 630. The auxiliary base 610 is fixedly connected to the housing 100, and the rotating assembly 200 rotatably passes through the auxiliary base 610. The auxiliary accessory 620 is located between the auxiliary base 610 and the distal bearing 400, and is fixedly connected to the rotating assembly 200. The auxiliary spherical component 630 is disposed on one of the auxiliary base 610 and the auxiliary accessory 620. The other of the auxiliary base 610 and the auxiliary accessory 620 has a limiting wall 602, which axially abuts against the spherical surface 601 of the auxiliary spherical component 630. The axial abutment means that the limiting wall 602 and the spherical surface 601 of the auxiliary spherical component 630 are axially opposite each other and abut against each other.
[0262] Specifically, one of the auxiliary base 610 and auxiliary accessory 620, which includes an auxiliary spherical member 630, has a mounting end face opposite to the limiting wall 602. At least a portion of the auxiliary spherical member 630 protrudes toward the limiting wall 602 relative to the mounting end face, thereby abutting against the limiting wall 602.
[0263] When the rotating assembly 200 tends to move along the Y-direction, the auxiliary bearing 600, through the auxiliary ball joint 630 and the limiting wall 602, abuts axially, thereby restricting the movement of the rotating shaft 210 along the Y-direction and making it difficult for the rotating assembly 200 to displace in the Y-direction. During the start-up, shutdown, and operation of the drive device 10, the auxiliary bearing 600, through the auxiliary ball joint 630 and the limiting wall 602, maintains axial abutment, making it difficult for the rotating assembly 200 to displace axially. This prevents collisions between the rotating assembly 200 and the fixed components at the distal end of the housing 100, reducing the risk of drive device 10 failure and extending its service life. On the other hand, the friction between the auxiliary ball joint 630 and the limiting wall 602 within the axial ball bearing is rolling friction, which has low frictional resistance and can improve the efficiency of the drive device 10.
[0264] Furthermore, the inner wall surface of the distal shaft hole 411 of the distal bushing of the distal bearing 400 mates with the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 to form a radial sliding bearing, referred to as the first radial sliding bearing. The rotating shaft 210 rotatably passes through the auxiliary base 610 of the auxiliary bearing 600; therefore, the auxiliary base 610 should have an auxiliary shaft hole 612 for the rotating shaft 210 to pass through. The inner wall surface of this auxiliary shaft hole 612 mates with the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 to form a radial sliding bearing, referred to as the second radial sliding bearing. Clearly, the first and second radial sliding bearings are adjacent and axially aligned, effectively increasing the length of the supporting rotating shaft 210, thereby better positioning the rotating shaft 210 and more effectively restricting its radial movement, making it difficult for the rotating shaft 210 to wobble radially and improving the rotational stability of the rotating shaft 210.
[0265] Referring to Figures 30 and 31, in this embodiment, the rotor 220 includes a first rotor 221, which is located between the distal bearing 400 and the stator 300. The auxiliary bearing 600 is specifically disposed between the distal bearing 400 and the first rotor 221. The auxiliary base 610 of the auxiliary bearing 600 is fixedly connected to the distal end of the housing 100; the auxiliary accessory 620 of the auxiliary bearing 600 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 210. When the stator 300 drives the rotor 220 to rotate, the rotor 220 drives the rotating shaft 210 to rotate, and the auxiliary accessory 620 rotates with the rotating shaft 210, thereby rotating the auxiliary accessory 620 relative to the auxiliary base 610; simultaneously, the auxiliary spherical component 630 moves relative to the limiting wall 602.
[0266] In this embodiment, the auxiliary accessory 620 has a limiting wall 602; the auxiliary base 610 has a mounting end face opposite to the limiting wall 602. The auxiliary spherical member 630 is disposed on the auxiliary base 610, and the auxiliary spherical member 630 protrudes toward the limiting wall 602 relative to the mounting end face of the auxiliary base 610, and abuts against the limiting wall 602.
[0267] Of course, in other embodiments, the auxiliary base 610 may have a limiting wall 602; the auxiliary accessory 620 may have a mounting end face opposite to the limiting wall 602. The auxiliary spherical member 630 is disposed on the auxiliary accessory 620, and the auxiliary spherical member 630 protrudes toward the limiting wall 602 relative to the mounting end face, and abuts against the limiting wall 602.
[0268] Referring to Figures 30 and 31, the auxiliary base 610 can be an independent component, which can be connected and fixed to the housing 100 by means of bonding, welding, or other methods. Of course, in some embodiments, the auxiliary base 610 can be an integrally formed component with the housing 100. The auxiliary base 610 is cylindrical. Of course, in other embodiments, the auxiliary base 610 can also have other shapes. The proximal end of the auxiliary base 610 faces the receiving cavity 101, and the proximal end wall of the auxiliary base 610 serves as the limiting wall 602.
[0269] Optionally, the distal end of the housing 100 is provided with a mounting hole 103, and the mounting hole 103 and the receiving cavity 101 are arranged axially; the mounting hole 103 is located on the distal side of the receiving cavity 101, and the auxiliary base 610 is installed in the mounting hole 103. Specifically, both the auxiliary base 610 and the distal bushing 410 are received in the mounting hole 103, and both the auxiliary base 610 and the distal bushing 410 are fixedly connected to the housing 100. Specifically, both the auxiliary base 610 and the distal bushing 410 can be fixedly connected to the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole 103.
[0270] A radial boss 104 is provided between the mounting hole 103 and the receiving cavity 101. The radial boss 104 has a support surface 104a facing away from the receiving cavity 101, and the auxiliary base 610 is fixedly connected to the support surface 104a. The support surface 104a can support the auxiliary base 610 and share the axial force along the Y-direction with the auxiliary base 610, thereby improving the stability of the auxiliary base 610 installation.
[0271] The radial boss 104 protrudes radially inward relative to the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole 103. The radial boss 104 may be an annular boss extending around the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole 103; or it may consist of at least two protrusions spaced apart along the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole 103.
[0272] Auxiliary accessory 620 is housed within mounting hole 103 of housing 100. Auxiliary accessory 620 is located between auxiliary base 610 and distal accessory 420. Auxiliary accessory 620 is fixed to pivot 210, and a gap exists between the outer peripheral surface of auxiliary accessory 620 and the inner peripheral surface of mounting hole 103, allowing auxiliary accessory 620 to rotate within mounting hole 103. Similarly, a gap also exists between the outer peripheral surface of distal accessory 420 and the inner peripheral surface of mounting hole 103, allowing distal accessory 420 to rotate within mounting hole 103.
[0273] The auxiliary component 620 is designed with a disc-shaped structure. The auxiliary component 620 can be integrally formed with the rotating shaft 210, which improves the strength of the connection between the auxiliary component 620 and the rotating shaft 210 and reduces processing steps. Of course, in other embodiments, the auxiliary component 620 can be a separate component, meaning it can be separately formed from the rotating shaft 210, and can be connected and fixed to the rotating shaft 210 by welding or bonding.
[0274] In this embodiment, the auxiliary component 620 and the distal component 420 are two independent parts. The auxiliary component 620 and the distal component 420 are respectively fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 210. The auxiliary component 620 and the distal component 420 are arranged axially. The distal end face of the auxiliary component 620 and the proximal end face of the distal component 420 are fixedly connected. This improves the stability of the installation of both the auxiliary component 620 and the distal component 420. Furthermore, the fixed connection between the auxiliary component 620 and the distal component 420 is equivalent to the auxiliary bearing 600 and the distal bearing 400 abutting each other axially, effectively preventing the rotating assembly 200 from moving axially.
[0275] Of course, in other embodiments, the auxiliary accessory 620 and the distal accessory 420 can also be integrally formed as a single component. For example, referring to FIG33, the drive device 10 has a rotating disk 700, which is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 210. The rotating disk 700 is located between the distal bushing 410 and the auxiliary base 610. The rotating disk 700 has a distal portion and a proximal portion; wherein, the distal portion of the rotating disk 700 serves as the distal accessory 420; and the proximal portion of the rotating disk 700 serves as the auxiliary accessory 620.
[0276] Referring to Figures 31 and 34, the auxiliary spherical component 630 can be understood to be either a complete sphere or a portion of a sphere. It is sufficient that a spherical surface 601 of appropriate area can be formed on the auxiliary spherical component 630. Multiple auxiliary spherical components 630 can be arranged around the rotating shaft 210. The multiple auxiliary spherical components 630 supporting the rotating assembly 200 from different positions around the rotating shaft 210 can reduce radial sway of the rotating assembly 200 and improve the stability of its operation.
[0277] Optionally, multiple auxiliary spherical components 630 are arranged at intervals around the rotating shaft 210. This allows the use of fewer auxiliary spherical components 630. In this way, not only can the weight of the drive unit 10 be reduced, making the blood pump 1 lighter, but the power required to start the drive unit 10 can also be reduced, allowing the rotating assembly 200 to start smoothly.
[0278] Of course, in other embodiments, the multiple auxiliary spherical members 630 may also be arranged around the rotating shaft 210 and adjacent to each other in sequence, that is, two adjacent auxiliary spherical members 630 are in contact.
[0279] The plurality of auxiliary spherical components 630 may all be movable balls. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the plurality of auxiliary spherical components 630 may all be fixed spherical protrusions. Of course, in still other embodiments, some of the plurality of auxiliary spherical components 630 may be movable balls, while others may be fixed spherical protrusions. In this embodiment, the plurality of auxiliary spherical components 630 may all be balls.
[0280] In this embodiment, all of the auxiliary spherical components 630 are ball bearings. Thus, the auxiliary bearing formed by the combination of the auxiliary base 610, the auxiliary accessory 620, and the auxiliary spherical components 630 is an axial ball bearing. The friction between the auxiliary spherical components 630 and the limiting wall 602 in the axial ball bearing is rolling friction, which has low frictional resistance and can improve the efficiency of the drive device 10.
[0281] The auxiliary base 610 shall be provided with an auxiliary shaft hole 612; the rotating shaft 210 rotatably passes through the auxiliary shaft hole 612. The auxiliary base 610 slides with the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 through the inner circumferential surface of the auxiliary shaft hole 612, so the auxiliary base 610 and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 combine to form a radial sliding bearing. The radial sliding bearing can restrict the radial movement of the rotating shaft 210 and reduce the radial wobble of the rotating shaft 210. That is to say, the auxiliary bearing 600 can form an axial ball bearing by combining the auxiliary base 610 with the auxiliary accessory 620 and the auxiliary spherical part 630 to restrict the axial movement of the rotating shaft 210; and also forms a radial sliding bearing by combining the inner circumferential surface of the auxiliary shaft hole 612 of the auxiliary base 610 with the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 to restrict the radial movement of the rotating shaft 210. The axial ball bearing and the radial sliding bearing work together to make the shaft 210 rotate smoothly, improve the coaxiality of the central axis of the shaft 210 and the central axis 11 of the housing 100 during operation, thereby reducing the collision between the shaft 210 and the housing 100 and other components, and effectively reducing the risk of failure of the drive device 10.
[0282] It should be noted that when the rotating shaft 210 rotates smoothly, the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 coincides with the central axis 11 of the housing 100. If the rotating shaft 210 experiences a small radial wobbling, the central axis of the rotating shaft 210 intersects with the central axis 11 of the housing 100.
[0283] Referring to Figures 31, 34 and 35, the auxiliary spherical member 630 is movably mounted on the auxiliary base 610, and a portion of the auxiliary spherical member 630 protrudes from the distal end face of the auxiliary base 610, such that a portion of the auxiliary spherical member 630 is located between the distal end face of the auxiliary base 610 and the limiting wall 602, so as to abut against the limiting wall 602.
[0284] To facilitate the installation of the auxiliary spherical component 630, an assembly groove 603 is provided in the auxiliary base 610, and the assembly groove 603 has a slot 603c. The auxiliary spherical component 630 is movably installed in the assembly groove 603; and a portion of the auxiliary spherical component 630 extends outward from the slot 603c of the assembly groove 603, such that the auxiliary spherical component 630 has an inner portion 632 received inside the assembly groove 603, and an outer protrusion 631 extending outside the assembly groove 603. The spherical surface 601 on the outer protrusion 631 abuts against the limiting wall 602.
[0285] It is understood that the auxiliary spherical component 630 is a sphere. The entire outer circumferential surface of the auxiliary spherical component 630 is a spherical surface 601. Therefore, no matter which direction the auxiliary spherical component 630 rolls or which position it rolls to, the auxiliary spherical component 630 will always have an outward protrusion 631 located outside the assembly groove 603, and the spherical surface 601 on the outward protrusion 631 is used to abut against the limiting wall 602.
[0286] Optionally, the auxiliary accessory 620 is provided with multiple assembly slots 603, each of which is equipped with at least one auxiliary spherical component 630. Since the multiple auxiliary spherical components 630 are installed in different assembly slots 603, the auxiliary spherical components 630 in one assembly slot 603 do not interfere with each other. When the drive device 10 starts, the starting power of the drive device 10 is relatively low, and the rotation component 200 starts and runs more smoothly.
[0287] Furthermore, when the rotating assembly 200 rotates, the multiple auxiliary spherical components 630 are driven by the rotating assembly 200 to roll within their respective assembly slots 603. The auxiliary spherical components 630 in any adjacent assembly slots 603 will not push against each other, allowing each auxiliary spherical component 630 to roll freely. Therefore, the auxiliary spherical components 630 in different positions can adapt their movements according to the magnitude and direction of the force they receive.
[0288] Referring again to Figures 31, 34, and 35, the outward protrusion 631 of the auxiliary spherical member 630 has an abutment point S1 for abutting against the limiting wall 602. Here, the abutment point S1 of the auxiliary spherical member 630 is tangent to the limiting wall 602. The auxiliary spherical member 630 has an axial height H protruding outward from the slot 603c of the self-assembly groove 603. s1 The axial height H s1It is the axial distance between the contact point S1 and the slot 603c, and also the axial distance between the distal end face 611 and the limiting wall 602.
[0289] If the axial height H s1 If the distance is too small, the gap between the distal end face 611 and the limiting wall 602 will be small, making them prone to contact. When the shaft 210 rotates, wear or collision may occur between the distal end face 611 and the limiting wall 602. Therefore, optionally, the axial height H... s1 It is set to be greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the radius of the auxiliary spherical part 630. Therefore, H s1 ≥1 / 3R; where R represents the radius of the auxiliary spherical component 630; R=1 / 2D s D s This indicates the diameter of the auxiliary spherical component 630. This ensures that after the protrusion 631 abuts against the limiting wall 602, there is a sufficient gap between the distal end face 611 and the limiting wall 602, making it less likely for them to interfere with each other, avoiding wear or collision, and improving the stability of the rotation of the shaft 210.
[0290] Of course, the axial height H s1 It should not be designed to be too large, otherwise it will occupy a large amount of axial space in the housing 100, and easily increase the risk of the auxiliary spherical part 630 falling out of the assembly slot 603. Therefore, optionally, the axial height H s1 The radius of the auxiliary spherical component 630 is smaller than H. s1 <R. This ensures that the volume of the built-in portion 632 of the auxiliary spherical component 630 is at least half the volume of the auxiliary spherical component 630, so that the center of the auxiliary spherical component 630 will fall inside the assembly groove 603, thereby reducing the risk of the auxiliary spherical component 630 falling out of the assembly groove 603.
[0291] Referring again to Figures 31, 34 and 35, the assembly groove 603 has a groove bottom wall 603a and a groove side wall 603b arranged circumferentially along the groove bottom wall 603a; the built-in portion 632 of the auxiliary spherical member 630 abuts against the groove bottom wall 603a, and the built-in portion 632 of the auxiliary spherical member 630 is also tangent to the groove side wall 603b.
[0292] The bottom wall 603a of the groove is a planar wall perpendicular to the central axis of the auxiliary component 620. In this case, the auxiliary spherical component 630 is tangent to the bottom wall 603a, and the tangent position is the abutment position. In other embodiments, the bottom wall 603a may be a spherical wall.
[0293] The groove sidewall 603b is perpendicular to the groove bottom wall 603a. The groove sidewall 603b can be a cylindrical surface, in which case the contact between the auxiliary spherical member 630 and the groove sidewall 603b is a line contact. Alternatively, the groove sidewall 603b can be composed of multiple planes, in which case the contact between the auxiliary spherical member 630 and the groove sidewall 603b is a point contact. In other embodiments, the groove sidewall 603b can form an inclined angle with the groove bottom wall 603a.
[0294] The position where the inner part 632 of the auxiliary spherical part 630 is tangent to the side wall 603b of the groove is defined as the cutting position S2, and the cutting position S2 has a cutting depth H from the groove opening 603c of the assembly groove 603. s2 Obviously, the cutting depth H s2 The radius R (i.e., H) needs to be smaller than that of the auxiliary spherical part 630. s2 <R), so that a portion of the auxiliary spherical part 630 protrudes outward from the groove opening 603c of the assembly groove 603 to form an outward protrusion 631. However, the cutting depth H s2 It should not be too small, otherwise the auxiliary spherical part 630 may easily fall out of the assembly slot 603.
[0295] Therefore, optionally, the cutting depth H s2 The radius of the auxiliary spherical component 630 is greater than or equal to half the radius of the auxiliary spherical component 630, i.e., 1 / 2R≤H s2 <R. This allows the volume of the inner portion 632 of the auxiliary spherical component 630 to be greater than or equal to half the volume of the auxiliary spherical component 630. With this configuration, the center of the auxiliary spherical component 630 will fall inside the mounting groove 603, thereby reducing the risk of the auxiliary spherical component 630 falling out of the mounting groove 603.
[0296] Understandably, the cutting depth H s2 and axial height H s1 The sum equals the radius R of the auxiliary spherical component 630, i.e., H. s1 +H s2 =R. Furthermore, the cutting depth H s2 It is also greater than the axial height H s1 Therefore, 1 / 3R≤H s1 <H s2 <R. This configuration ensures that the auxiliary spherical component 630 is not easily dislodged from the assembly slot 603, and also ensures that the protruding portion 631 of the auxiliary spherical component 630 has sufficient height to abut against the limiting wall 602.
[0297] Referring also to Figures 31, 34, and 35, multiple auxiliary spherical components 630 are arranged around the rotating shaft 210, which can be equally spaced or non-equally spaced. A ring-shaped region is formed around the circumference of the rotating shaft 210, defined by an inner and an outer ring. It should be noted that the inner and outer rings are virtual boundaries defining the ring-shaped region, with the inner ring located between the outer ring and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210. The centers of the inner and outer rings are located on the central axis of the rotating shaft 210. The inner ring and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210 are radially spaced apart. Multiple auxiliary spherical components 630 are all disposed within the ring-shaped region.
[0298] Multiple auxiliary spherical components 630 may be arranged at equal intervals or at non-equal intervals in the annular region. Optionally, at least two of the auxiliary spherical components 630 are located on opposite sides of the rotating shaft 210. This allows for at least one fulcrum on each opposite side of the rotating shaft 210 (such as the left and right sides or the front and rear sides), thereby reducing radial sway of the rotating shaft 210 along the left and right sides.
[0299] The number of auxiliary spherical parts 630 can be 2 to 10. For example, but not limited to 3, 5, 6, 8, etc.
[0300] Referring to Figure 11, the diameter D of the auxiliary spherical component 630 s The value is 0.4mm to 0.7mm, that is, 0.4mm ≤ D. s ≤0.7mm. The radius R of the auxiliary spherical component 630 is D. s Half of. For example, diameter D s The values can be, but are not limited to, 0.45mm, 0.5mm, 0.55mm, 0.6mm, 0.65mm, and 0.7mm.
[0301] Optionally, the diameter D of the auxiliary spherical component 630 s The diameter D of the distal ball 430 f They are equal. This allows for the batch production of the auxiliary spherical part 630 and the distal ball bearing 430 using the same casting mold. During assembly, the auxiliary spherical part 630 and the distal ball bearing 430 can be used interchangeably, avoiding problems of mismatched assembly.
[0302] The outer surface of the auxiliary spherical component 630 can be a ceramic surface. Specifically, the entire auxiliary spherical component 630 is made of ceramic material, thus making its outer surface a ceramic surface. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the auxiliary spherical component 630 can be made of a hard metal material, with an additional layer of ceramic material added to its outer surface to form the ceramic surface. Ceramic materials offer high processing precision, high biocompatibility, high mechanical strength, and good wear and corrosion resistance.
[0303] Referring to Figures 4 and 14, the limiting wall 602 that abuts against the auxiliary spherical component 630 can be configured as a flat wall without any concave or convex structures. The limiting wall 602 is perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating shaft 210, making the limiting wall 602 tangent to the auxiliary spherical component 630. This allows the auxiliary spherical component 630 to maintain stable contact and relative rolling with the limiting wall 602 during the rotation of the rotating assembly 200. This ensures that each auxiliary spherical component 630 is tangent to the limiting wall 602, resulting in multiple scattered point contacts between the auxiliary spherical components 630 and the limiting wall 602, with a small contact area and low frictional resistance. Furthermore, if the rotating shaft 210 experiences radial wobbling, the auxiliary spherical component 630 can roll radially on the limiting wall 602, reducing the resistance to the movement of the auxiliary spherical component 630, preventing the rotating shaft 210 from jamming, and making it easier for the rotating shaft 210 to return to its original stable state.
[0304] The limiting wall 602 can also be a ceramic surface. Specifically, the entire auxiliary base 610 is made of ceramic material, so the limiting wall 602 of the auxiliary base 610 becomes a ceramic surface accordingly. Of course, in other embodiments, the auxiliary base 610 can be made of hard metal material, and a layer of ceramic material can be added to the surface of the auxiliary base 610 to form the ceramic surface.
[0305] Of course, in other embodiments, the limiting wall 602 may also be provided with an annular groove (such as the aforementioned annular groove 504) so that a portion of the auxiliary spherical member 630 is received in the annular groove.
[0306] It is understood that the distal bearing 400 is a distal bearing 400 with distal balls 430 as listed in any of the first to third embodiments described above, or a distal bearing 400 with distal spherical protrusions 440 as listed in any of the fourth to sixth embodiments described above.
[0307] Referring to Figure 31, it can be understood that the rotating shaft 210 rotatably passes through the distal shaft hole 411 of the distal bushing 410. Therefore, a small and narrow gap 404 inevitably exists between the inner circumferential surface of the distal shaft hole 411 and the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210. In some related technologies, to prevent blood from seeping into the housing 100 through the gap 404 and forming a thrombus, a flushing channel is usually provided inside the housing 100. This flushing channel communicates with the gap 404, and flushing fluid is injected into the flushing channel so that the flushing fluid is discharged outward through the gap 404 to prevent blood from entering the housing 100 and forming a thrombus.
[0308] In this embodiment, there is a gap 405 inside the distal bearing 400. The gap 405 can be the gap between the distal bushing 410 and the distal fitting 420, or the gap between the distal mounting groove 403 and the distal ball 430. These gaps 405 communicate with the orifices 404. Therefore, anti-hemolytic gel (not shown in the figure) can be filled into the distal bearing 400 from the orifices 404, allowing the anti-hemolytic gel to enter the gaps 405 inside the distal bearing 400 from the orifices 404, thereby filling the gaps 405 and the orifices 404. A large amount of anti-hemolytic gel can be filled using these gaps 405 and the orifices 404. The anti-hemolytic gel can prevent blood from entering the housing 100 and can prevent blood clots from forming there. In this way, it is not necessary to provide a flushing channel inside the housing 100, and the drive device 10 does not need to be connected to the flushing system. The blood pump 1 can eliminate the need for the flushing system, simplifying the structure of the blood pump 1. It is understood that the anti-blood gel does not affect the rotation of the rotating component 200.
[0309] Similarly, there is a gap 604 inside the auxiliary bearing 600. This gap 604 can be a gap between the auxiliary base 610 and the auxiliary accessory 620, a gap between the distal mounting groove 403 and the distal ball 430, or a hole between the inner circumferential surface of the auxiliary shaft hole 612 and the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 210. These gaps 604 communicate with the gap 405 inside the distal bearing 400. Optionally, anti-thrombotic gel is also filled inside the auxiliary bearing 600, such that the anti-thrombotic gel fills the gap 604 of the auxiliary bearing 600. This further increases the amount of anti-thrombotic gel and enhances the anti-thrombotic effect.
[0310] Referring to Figures 30 to 32, as described above, the proximal end of the rotating assembly 200 is suspended within the receiving cavity 101 inside the housing 100. In other words, the proximal end of the rotating assembly 200 is not connected to supporting components such as bushings or bearings. The end face of the proximal end of the rotating assembly 200 and the end face of the proximal end of the receiving cavity 101 are spaced apart axially by a distance K1; the circumferential surface of the proximal end of the rotating assembly 200 and the inner circumferential surface of the receiving cavity 101 are also spaced apart radially by a distance K2; K1 > 0, K2 > 0.
[0311] Specifically, the proximal end of the rotating component 200 is suspended above the proximal end of the receiving cavity 101 of the housing 100; the axial distance K1 between the proximal end face of the receiving cavity 101 and the proximal end of the rotating component 200 can be set to be not less than 1 mm. Optionally, 1 mm ≤ K1 ≤ 10 mm. K1 can be, but is not limited to, 1 mm, 2 mm, 5 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, etc.
[0312] Specifically, a fixing pin 140 is provided at the proximal end of the housing 100, and the distal end face of the fixing pin 140 is the proximal end face of the receiving cavity 101. In other words, the proximal end of the rotating assembly 200 is not connected to the fixing pin 140 at all, so there is no need to provide a bushing or bearing on the fixing pin 140. Therefore, the volume of the fixing pin 140 can be reduced accordingly, or even the fixing pin 140 component can be removed.
[0313] The rotating shaft 210 has a first shaft segment 214 and a second shaft segment 215 arranged axially, with the second shaft segment 215 located between the first shaft segment 214 and the connecting end 211. The first shaft segment 214 passes through the setter 300; the second shaft segment 215 passes through the distal bearing 400 and the auxiliary bearing 600; and the connecting end 211 is located on the outside of the housing 100.
[0314] Understandably, the first shaft segment 214 has a first length K3. The first shaft segment 214 is equivalent to the cantilever arm of the rotating assembly 200. The shorter the axial length of the stator 300, the shorter the required first length K3, the smaller the cantilever arm length of the rotating assembly 200, and thus the less likely the proximal end of the rotating assembly 200 is to wobble, and consequently the more stable the suspended state of the proximal end of the rotating assembly 200.
[0315] The second shaft segment 215 has a second length K4. The second length... K4 The longer the length, the longer the effective length of the auxiliary bearing 600 and the distal bearing 400 supporting the rotating shaft 210, the stronger the supporting and positioning effect on the rotating shaft 210, the less likely the cantilever arm (i.e. the first shaft segment 214) of the rotating assembly 200 is to wobble, and thus the more stable the suspended state of the near end of the rotating assembly 200.
[0316] Therefore, optionally, the second length K4 is at least 0.25 times the first length K3, i.e., K4 ≥ 0.25K3. This ensures that the auxiliary bearing 600 and the distal bearing 400 support the rotating shaft 210 with a relatively long effective length and occupy less axial space, preventing the axial length of the drive device 10 from becoming too large and making it easier for the blood pump to push. K4 can be, but is not limited to, 0.25K3, 0.27K3, 0.29K3, 0.3K3, 0.32K3, 0.33K3, 0.35K3, etc.
[0317] Of course, the second length K4 should not be too long, otherwise it will increase the axial length of the drive device 10 and make it more difficult for the blood pump to push. Optionally, the second length K4 should not exceed 0.5 times the first length K3, that is, K4 ≤ 0.5K3. This can avoid the axial length of the drive device 10 being too long and reduce the difficulty of the drive device 10 entering the human body.
[0318] Optionally, the rotor 200 includes a second rotor 222, which is mounted on the proximal end of the shaft 210 such that the second rotor 222 and the proximal end of the shaft 210 are suspended together in the receiving cavity 101.
[0319] Referring to Figures 30 and 32, optionally, the drive device 10 further includes a fixing member 216 located near the second rotor 222, and fixedly connected to the proximal end of the rotating shaft 210. The fixing member 216 is also fixedly connected to the second rotor 222, thus fixing the proximal end of the rotating shaft 210, the second rotor 222, and the fixing member 216 together. This prevents the second rotor 222 from easily detaching from the proximal end of the rotating shaft 210 during rotation.
[0320] The fixing component 216 can be a circular ring, a C-shaped ring, or a strip-shaped baffle. Of course, the fixing component 216 is not necessary, as long as the second rotor 222 is securely connected to the shaft 210.
[0321] Figure 36 shows an eighth embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. The difference from the seventh embodiment described above is that, without considering assembly difficulty, or in other words, if assembly difficulty can be overcome, the near end of the housing 100 is provided with a movable groove 150, which has a bottom wall 151 and a side wall 152. The near end of the rotating shaft 210 is provided with a ball head 213, which is rotatably mounted in the movable groove 150. The ball head 213 has a spherical crown surface 213a, which slides against the bottom wall 151 and is tangent to the side wall 152.
[0322] Specifically, the drive device 10 includes a fixed bushing 160, which is mounted on a fixing pin 140. A movable groove 150 is provided on the fixed bushing 160. The fixed bushing 160, together with the distal bearing 400 and the auxiliary bearing 600, supports the rotation of the rotating shaft 210, greatly improving the stability of the rotating shaft 210 during rotation. The structure of the fixed bushing 160 and its movable groove 150 can be implemented with reference to the aforementioned first or fifth embodiment, and will not be described again here.
[0323] Figure 37 illustrates a ninth embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. The drive device 10 in this ninth embodiment differs from the drive device 10 of the seventh embodiment described above in that the distal bearing 400 is a distal bearing 400 with a distal spherical protrusion 440, as listed in the fourth embodiment above. The specific structure of the distal bearing 400 is described in the fourth embodiment above and will not be repeated here.
[0324] Figure 38 shows a tenth embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. The drive device 10 in this tenth embodiment differs from the drive device 10 in the seventh embodiment described above in that the auxiliary ball member 630 of the distal bearing 400 is a movable ball, and the auxiliary ball member 630 is movably mounted on the auxiliary accessory 620, and the auxiliary base 310 has a limiting wall 602 that abuts against the spherical surface 601 of the auxiliary ball member 630.
[0325] Figures 39 to 41 illustrate an eleventh embodiment of the drive device 10 of this application. The difference between the drive device 10 in this eleventh embodiment and the drive device 10 of the seventh embodiment described above is that the auxiliary spherical member 630 of the auxiliary bearing 600 is not a movable ball, but a fixed spherical protrusion. Specifically, the auxiliary spherical member 630 is a spherical protrusion fixed to one of the auxiliary base 610 and the auxiliary accessory 620, the other of which has a limiting wall 602 that abuts axially against the spherical surface 601 of the auxiliary spherical member 630.
[0326] Specifically, the auxiliary spherical component 630 is fixed to the auxiliary base 610, and the spherical surface 601 of the auxiliary spherical component 630 abuts against the limiting wall 602. Since the auxiliary spherical component 630 is fixed to the auxiliary accessory 620, it is not necessary to provide a distal mounting groove 403 as in the fifth embodiment on the auxiliary accessory 620. The auxiliary spherical component 630 can be integrally formed with the auxiliary accessory 620. Alternatively, the auxiliary spherical component 630 can be fixed to the auxiliary accessory 620 by welding or bonding. The auxiliary base 610 has a distal end face 611, and the auxiliary spherical component 630 is fixed to the distal end face 611.
[0327] It is understood that the auxiliary spherical component 630 is part of a sphere. The axial height H of the auxiliary spherical component 630 protruding from the end face (i.e., the distal end face 611) of the auxiliary accessory 620 is... f1 The diameter can be 0.1mm to 0.2mm. The auxiliary spherical component 630 can be a hemisphere, that is, 1 / 2 of a sphere. Of course, in other embodiments, the auxiliary spherical component 630 can also be 1 / 3 or 1 / 4 of a sphere. The connection between the spherical surface 601 and the distal end face 611 of the auxiliary spherical component 630 is an arc-shaped transition.
[0328] The size, position, and arrangement of the auxiliary spherical component 630 can be implemented with reference to the protruding portion when the auxiliary spherical component 630 is a ball bearing in the fifth embodiment described above, and the same technical effect can be achieved. For example:
[0329] The auxiliary spherical component 630 and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 210 are radially spaced.
[0330] The spherical surface 601 of the auxiliary spherical component 630 is a ceramic surface.
[0331] The diameter of the sphere containing the auxiliary spherical component 630 is 0.4mm to 0.7mm.
[0332] The height of the protrusion of the auxiliary spherical part 630 from the end face of the auxiliary accessory 620 is 0.1mm to 0.2mm.
[0333] Multiple auxiliary spherical components 630 are arranged at equal intervals along the outer circumference of the rotating shaft 210.
[0334] At least two of the auxiliary spherical components 630 are located on opposite sides of the rotating shaft 210.
[0335] Since the driving device of this embodiment has a similar structure to the driving device of the first embodiment, the driving device of this embodiment and the blood pump having the driving device of this embodiment also have similar effects to the first embodiment.
[0336] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A driving device, characterized in that, The driving device includes: case; A rotating assembly, rotatably mounted on the housing, the rotating assembly including a rotating shaft and a rotor fixedly connected to the rotating shaft; A stator, fixedly connected to the housing and capable of driving the rotor to rotate; and The distal bearing includes a distal bushing, a distal fitting, and distal balls; wherein, The distal bushing is fixed to the distal end of the housing, and the rotating shaft rotatably passes through the distal bushing. The distal fitting is housed inside the housing, the distal fitting is axially opposite to the distal bushing, and is fixedly connected to the rotating assembly; The distal ball is movably mounted on one of the distal bushing and the distal fitting, the other of which has an abutment wall that abuts against the spherical surface of the distal ball in the axial direction.
2. The driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of distal balls is multiple, and the multiple distal balls are arranged around the rotating shaft; one of the distal bushing and the distal accessory is provided with a distal mounting groove; the distal balls are movably mounted in the distal mounting groove, and a portion of the distal balls extends outward from the opening of the distal mounting groove to abut against the abutment wall. The number of the distal mounting slots is multiple, and the multiple distal mounting slots are arranged at intervals around the rotating shaft. Each distal mounting slot is provided with at least one distal ball. Alternatively, the number of the distal mounting slots is one, the distal mounting slot is arranged in a ring around the rotating shaft, and a plurality of distal balls are provided in the distal mounting slot, the plurality of distal balls being arranged around the rotating shaft.
3. The driving device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The distal mounting groove has a bottom wall and a side wall; the distal ball abuts against the bottom wall and is tangent to the side wall, with a tangent depth between the tangent and the groove opening of the distal mounting groove being greater than or equal to 1 / 2 times the radius of the distal ball and less than the radius of the distal ball. Alternatively, the distal ball has an axial height protruding outward from the opening of the distal mounting groove, the axial height being greater than or equal to 1 / 3 times the radius of the distal ball and less than the radius of the distal ball.
4. The driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distal bearing also has at least one of the following characteristics: The spherical surface of the distal ball is a ceramic surface; The diameter of the distal ball is 0.4mm to 0.7mm; The distal ball bearing is radially spaced from the rotating shaft by a certain distance; Multiple distal balls are arranged at equal intervals around the rotating shaft; At least two of the distal balls are located on opposite sides of the shaft; A portion of the distal ball is housed in an annular groove on the abutting wall, or the abutting wall is a flat wall perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating shaft and tangent to the spherical surface of the distal ball. The abutment wall is made of ceramic.
5. The driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing has an axially arranged receiving cavity, a proximal limiting groove, and a mounting hole, with a stepped surface between the proximal limiting groove and the mounting hole; the distal bushing is mounted in the mounting hole; the distal accessory is at least partially received in the proximal limiting groove, and the distal accessory is axially spaced from the stepped surface by a first distance; Alternatively, the distal ball bearing is movably mounted on the distal fitting, the spherical surface of the distal ball bearing having an abutment point that abuts against the abutment wall; the distal bushing is provided with a distal shaft hole through which the rotating shaft passes, and the minimum radial distance between the distal shaft hole and the abutment point is a second distance, the second distance being greater than or equal to 0.2 mm.
6. The driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The near end of the housing is provided with a movable groove, which has a bottom wall and a side wall; the rotating shaft passes through the far end of the housing and has a connecting end located outside the housing; the end of the rotating shaft away from the connecting end is provided with a ball head, which is rotatably disposed in the movable groove, and the ball head has a spherical crown surface, which slides against the bottom wall and is tangent to the side wall; there are multiple distal balls, which are arranged around the rotating shaft, and the minimum radial distance from any distal ball to the central axis of the rotating shaft is greater than or equal to 1.5 times the radius of the ball head.
7. The driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive unit further includes a proximal bearing, the proximal bearing comprising: A proximal bushing, the proximal bushing being fixed to the proximal end of the housing; A proximal fitting, between the proximal fitting and the proximal bushing and the stator, the proximal fitting and the proximal bushing being axially opposite each other, the proximal fitting being fixedly connected to the rotating assembly to be rotatable relative to the proximal bushing; and The proximal ball is movably mounted on one of the proximal bushing and the proximal fitting, the other of the proximal bushing and the proximal fitting having a mating wall that abuts against the spherical surface of the proximal ball in the axial direction; the number of the proximal balls is multiple. In this configuration, a plurality of proximal ball bearings are arranged around the central axis of the rotating shaft; or, the proximal end of the proximal fitting is provided with a rotating column coaxial with the rotating shaft, the rotating column rotatably passing through the proximal bushing, and a plurality of proximal ball bearings are arranged around the rotating column.
8. A driving device, characterized in that, The driving device includes: case; A rotating assembly, rotatably mounted on the housing, the rotating assembly including a rotating shaft and a rotor fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft having a connecting end located outside the housing, the connecting end being fixedly connected to the impeller; A stator, fixedly connected to the housing and capable of driving the rotor to rotate; and The distal bearing includes a distal bushing, a distal fitting, and a distal spherical protrusion; wherein, The distal bushing is fixed to the distal end of the housing, and the rotating shaft rotatably passes through the distal bushing. The distal fitting is housed inside the housing, and the distal fitting is axially opposed to the distal bushing and fixedly connected to the rotating assembly. A distal spherical protrusion is fixed to one of the distal bushing and the distal fitting, the other of the distal bushing and the distal fitting having an abutment wall that abuts against the spherical surface of the distal spherical protrusion axially.
9. The driving device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The number of distal spherical protrusions is multiple, and the multiple distal spherical protrusions are arranged at intervals around the rotating shaft; One of the distal bushing and the distal fitting has an end face that is axially opposite and spaced from the abutment wall, and the distal spherical protrusion is fixed to the end face; the distal spherical protrusion has an axial height protruding from the end face toward the abutment wall, the axial height being greater than or equal to 1 / 3 times the radius of the sphere on which the distal spherical protrusion is located, and less than the radius of the sphere on which the distal spherical protrusion is located.
10. The driving device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The drive device also has at least one of the following features: The spherical surface of the distal spherical protrusion is a ceramic surface; The distal spherical protrusion is a hemisphere; The diameter of the distal spherical protrusion is 0.4 mm to 0.7 mm; The distal spherical protrusion is radially spaced from the rotating shaft by a certain distance; The number of distal spherical protrusions is multiple, and the multiple distal spherical protrusions are arranged at equal intervals around the rotating shaft; The distal spherical protrusion is received in an annular groove provided in the abutment wall, or the abutment wall is a flat wall perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating shaft and tangent to the distal spherical protrusion; The abutment wall is made of ceramic.
11. The driving device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The near end of the housing is provided with a movable groove, which has a bottom wall and a side wall; the end of the rotating shaft away from the connecting end is provided with a ball head, which is rotatably disposed in the movable groove, and the ball head has a spherical crown surface, which slides against the bottom wall and is tangent to the side wall; The number of distal spherical protrusions is multiple, and the multiple distal spherical protrusions are arranged around the rotating shaft. The minimum radial distance from any one of the distal spherical protrusions to the central axis of the rotating shaft is greater than or equal to 1.5 times the radius of the spherical head.
12. The driving device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The drive unit further includes a proximal bearing, the proximal bearing comprising: A proximal bushing, the proximal bushing being fixed to the proximal end of the housing; A proximal fitting, located between the proximal bushing and the stator, the proximal fitting being axially opposite to the proximal bushing and fixedly connected to the proximal end of the rotating assembly; and The proximal ball is movably mounted on one of the proximal bushing and the proximal fitting, the other of the proximal bushing and the proximal fitting having a mating wall that abuts against the spherical surface of the proximal ball in the axial direction; and the number of the proximal balls is multiple. In this configuration, a plurality of the proximal balls are arranged around the central axis of the rotating shaft; or... The proximal end of the proximal fitting is provided with a rotating column coaxial with the rotating shaft. The rotating column rotatably passes through the proximal bushing, and a plurality of proximal balls are arranged around the rotating column.
13. A driving device, characterized in that, The driving device includes: case; A rotating assembly, rotatably mounted on the housing, the rotating assembly having a connecting end located outside the housing for fixed connection with the impeller; The stator is fixedly connected to the housing and is capable of driving the rotating assembly to rotate; A distal bearing, wherein the distal bearing is disposed at the distal end of the housing and adjacent to the connecting end; and An auxiliary bearing is disposed between the distal bearing and the stator, and the rotating assembly passes through the distal bearing and the auxiliary bearing. The auxiliary bearing and the distal bearing together support the rotation of the rotating assembly. The auxiliary bearing includes: An auxiliary base is fixedly connected to the housing, and the rotating assembly is rotatably inserted through the auxiliary base; Auxiliary components, located between the auxiliary base and the distal bearing, and fixedly connected to the rotating assembly; and An auxiliary spherical component is disposed on one of the auxiliary base and the auxiliary accessory, and the other of the auxiliary base and the auxiliary accessory has a limiting wall that abuts against the spherical surface of the auxiliary spherical component along the axial direction.
14. The driving device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The number of auxiliary spherical components is multiple, and the multiple auxiliary spherical components are arranged around the rotating shaft; The auxiliary spherical component is a ball that is movably mounted on one of the auxiliary base and the auxiliary accessory, or the auxiliary spherical component is a spherical protrusion fixed to one of the auxiliary base and the auxiliary accessory.
15. The driving device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The auxiliary spherical component is a movable ball; one of the auxiliary base and the auxiliary accessory is provided with an assembly groove, and the auxiliary spherical component is movably installed in the assembly groove; a portion of the auxiliary spherical component extends outward from the opening of the assembly groove to abut against the limiting wall; The assembly groove has a bottom wall and a side wall; the auxiliary spherical component abuts against the bottom wall and is tangent to the side wall of the assembly groove, with a cutting depth between the cutting depth and the groove opening of the assembly groove being greater than or equal to 1 / 2 times the radius of the auxiliary spherical component and less than the radius of the auxiliary spherical component. Alternatively, the auxiliary spherical component may have an axial height protruding outward from the opening of the mounting groove, wherein the axial height is greater than or equal to 1 / 3 times the radius of the auxiliary spherical component and less than the radius of the auxiliary spherical component.
16. The driving device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The housing has an internal cavity for accommodating the stator, and the proximal end of the rotating assembly is suspended within the cavity; or, The near end of the housing is provided with a movable groove, the movable groove having a bottom wall and a side wall, the near end of the rotating assembly is provided with a ball head, the ball head is rotatably mounted in the movable groove, the ball head has a spherical crown surface, the spherical crown surface slides against the bottom wall and is tangent to the side wall.
17. The driving device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The rotating shaft has a first shaft segment and a second shaft segment located between the first shaft segment and the connecting end; wherein the first shaft segment passes through the stator; and the second shaft segment passes through the distal bearing and the auxiliary bearing; The first shaft segment has a first length, and the second shaft segment has a second length, the second length being at least 0.25 times the first length.
18. The driving device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The distal bearing includes a distal bushing, a distal fitting, and a distal ball; wherein, the distal bushing is fixed to the distal end of the housing, and the rotating assembly rotatably passes through the distal bushing; the distal fitting is disposed between the distal bushing and the auxiliary bearing, the distal fitting and the distal bushing are axially opposite to each other, and the distal fitting is fixedly connected to the rotating assembly; the distal ball is movably mounted on one of the distal bushing and the distal fitting, the other of the distal bushing and the distal fitting having an abutment wall, the abutment wall abutting against the spherical surface of the distal ball axially; Alternatively, the distal bearing includes a distal bushing, a distal fitting, and a distal spherical protrusion; wherein the distal bushing is fixed to the distal end of the housing, and the rotating assembly rotatably passes through the distal bushing; the distal fitting is disposed between the distal bushing and the auxiliary bearing, the distal fitting and the distal bushing are axially opposite to each other, and the distal spherical protrusion is fixed to the rotating assembly; the distal spherical protrusion is fixed to one of the distal bushing and the distal fitting, the other of the distal bushing and the distal fitting has an abutment wall, the abutment wall abutting axially against the spherical surface of the distal spherical protrusion.
19. A blood pump, characterized in that, The blood pump includes an impeller and a drive device as described in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the impeller is fixedly connected to the shaft of the drive device.
20. The blood pump according to claim 19, characterized in that, The blood pump also includes a cannula assembly, which is fixedly connected to the housing of the drive device; the proximal end of the cannula assembly has a proximal opening, and the distal end of the cannula assembly has a distal opening, one of which is a blood inlet and the other is a blood outlet; the impeller is disposed inside the cannula assembly.