Expandable Impeller Housing for Stable Catheter Blood Flow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Patients with compromised cardiac blood flow require improved circulatory support, especially during medical procedures, and existing ventricular support devices and blood pumps are in need of enhancements for better stability and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A catheter blood pump with an expandable impeller housing and inflatable radial support mechanism, featuring an expandable impeller housing with a sensor wire and impellers, designed for minimally-invasive insertion, which provides enhanced blood flow support and stability through radial expansion and sensor monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a rotary blood pump is inserted percutaneously through an access sheath, then surgical intervention is avoided and the procedure is minimally invasive, but the device structure becomes more complex to achieve stable positioning and blood flow support

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveminimally invasive insertionVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The blood pump is divided into distinct functional segments: an expandable impeller housing that can be compressed for delivery and expanded for operation, separate impellers for blood propulsion, and an inflatable radial support structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates percutaneous delivery through compression while maintaining functional complexity for stable blood flow support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The impellers are positioned within the expandable impeller housing, which itself is supported by the inflatable radial support structure. The sensor wire is secured to the housing and extends through the structure. This nested arrangement allows compact packaging for percutaneous insertion while enabling stable, functional deployment for blood flow support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Stability of the object's composition

If an expandable impeller housing with inflatable radial support is used, then blood flow stability is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblood flow stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The impeller housing transitions from a compressed state during delivery to an expanded state during operation, and the radial support transitions from deflated to inflated. These parameter changes (volume, pressure, shape) enable the device to achieve stable blood flow support while being deliverable through standard percutaneous access sheaths using established manufacturing techniques for expandable and inflatable medical devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If sensor wires are secured to the expandable impeller housing, then monitoring capability is enhanced, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor monitoring capabilityVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The expandable impeller housing serves multiple functions: it houses and protects the sensor wire, provides structural support for the impellers, and maintains the blood conduit lumen. By integrating the sensor wire securing function into the housing structure rather than adding separate components, the design enhances monitoring capability while minimizing additional complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The catheter blood pump offers improved circulatory support by stabilizing blood flow and reducing workload on the heart, with enhanced radial support and monitoring capabilities, suitable for use during medical procedures and heart transplant stabilization.

Implementation Method 1

an inflatable positioned and configured to provide radial support to the blood conduit when the inflatable is inflated

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadial expansion:

Implementation Method 2

an expandable pump portion extending distally from an elongate shaft, the pump portion including an expandable impeller housing including an expandable blood conduit

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectExpandable structure:

Data Source

PatentUS12447328B2Intravascular blood pumps and methods of manufacture and use

Publication Date: 2025.10.21 SUPIRA MEDICAL INC

AI summary

Catheter blood pump that include an expandable pump portion extending distally from an elongate shaft. The pump portions include an expandable impeller housing including an expandable blood conduit that defines a blood lumen between an inflow and an outflow. The pump portions include one or more expandable impellers disposed at least partially within the blood lumen.