Catheter Pump Sheath Assembly for Flexible Aortic Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical circulatory support devices, such as intra-aortic balloon pumps and rotary blood pumps, face challenges in providing reliable and efficient percutaneous access due to the need for robust connections between motor and impeller, insufficient flow rates, and large form factors that hinder minimally-invasive deployment.
Innovation Solution
A catheter pump assembly with an expandable impeller and cannula, featuring a flexible middle section and hard sections for stabilization, along with a mechanical interface that includes a tubular interface and mechanical interfaces for secure connection, allows for percutaneous access and high flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a robust mechanical connection is used between motor and impeller, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical connection is divided into modular components including a drive shaft with drive pins, an impeller with receptacles, and a bearing housing with thrust bearing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall connection reliability through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive shaft and impeller are pre-configured with complementary coupling features (drive pins and receptacles) that automatically align and engage when the impeller is deployed. This preliminary configuration ensures reliable connection without requiring complex alignment procedures during implantation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible connection is used between motor shaft and impeller, then adaptability is improved, but strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system transitions from a flexible state during deployment to a rigid state during operation. The drive pins are retained within the impeller receptacles during insertion, allowing flexibility, but are locked in place once the impeller is deployed, providing rigid mechanical strength for blood pumping.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing housing acts as an intermediary component that provides both flexibility during deployment and strength during operation. It houses the thrust bearing to accommodate axial loads and the drive shaft connection to transmit rotational force, bridging the gap between flexible insertion and rigid operation.
3Ease of operation
If the pump is made compact for percutaneous access, then ease of operation is improved, but flow rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller is nested within the bearing housing, which is in turn nested within the catheter body during delivery. This nested configuration allows the entire pump assembly to be compressed to a small profile for percutaneous insertion while enabling the impeller to expand to full operational size once deployed in the aorta.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump transitions from a one-dimensional linear compression during delivery to a three-dimensional expanded configuration during operation. The impeller expands radially outward from the bearing housing, and the bearing housing itself expands from a compressed state, enabling high flow rates while maintaining compact deliverability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A catheter pump assembly comprises a pump including an impeller assembly and a catheter body disposed proximal to and supporting the pump. The catheter body includes relatively hard sections adjacent to a relatively softer middle section such that the middle section is configured to contact a wall of an aorta of a patient.