Expandable Catheter Pump Impeller for High Flow With Lower Hemolysis

The impeller is designed with flexible blades that can dynamically change their configuration between a compressed state for percutaneous insertion and an expanded state for pumping operation. This dynamic transformation allows the device to achieve sufficient flow rates when deployed while maintaining a compact size for minimally invasive insertion through peripheral vessels.

The impeller blades are nested within each other or folded into a compact configuration that can be contained within a delivery catheter for percutaneous insertion. Once positioned in the heart, the blades are deployed outward to their functional configuration, effectively transitioning from a nested compact form to an expanded operational form.

The blade curvature radius is specifically optimized to balance flow generation efficiency with hemolysis reduction. By carefully selecting the curvature radius parameter, the impeller can achieve adequate flow rates at lower rotational speeds, thereby reducing the harmful shear forces that cause hemolysis while maintaining pumping effectiveness.

The impeller blades feature non-uniform curvature distribution along their length, with different sections having optimized curvature radii. This local quality variation allows the blades to efficiently accelerate blood flow while minimizing high-shear regions that would otherwise cause hemolysis, particularly at the blade tips and leading edges where shear forces are highest.