Expandable Medical Fluid Pump Housing for Catheter Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid pumps face limitations in diameter expansion due to the need to accommodate a drive shaft and rotor within small diameters, particularly in medical applications where they must be introduced through blood vessels.
Innovation Solution
A fluid pump design with a diameter-changeable pump housing and rotor, utilizing an actuation means that allows the pump housing and rotor to be displaced relative to each other longitudinally, enabling them to overlap or be arranged behind one another, with a bearing arrangement and struts to facilitate compression and expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pump housing and rotor are accommodated within a small diameter to enable minimally invasive introduction, then the pump can be introduced through blood vessels, but the expansion ability is restricted and complex mechanisms or temperature-responsive materials are required for diameter changeability
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing is designed with an expandable structure that can dynamically change its diameter. The housing includes compression elements that allow it to be compressed to a small diameter for introduction and then expanded to a larger diameter for operation, enabling the pump to adapt to different spatial requirements without requiring complex mechanisms or temperature-responsive materials
Solution Approach 2:
The pump housing is divided into multiple segments or sections that can move relative to each other. These segments can be compressed together for introduction and then separated or expanded for operation, providing a simple mechanical means of diameter changeability that avoids complex mechanisms
2Productivity
If a certain size is necessary for an optimised performance of the pump, then the pump can operate efficiently, but the size is limited by the diameter of the large blood vessels of the body which end in the heart
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing employs a dynamic expansion mechanism that allows it to transition from a compressed small-diameter state during introduction to an expanded large-diameter state during operation. This enables the pump to achieve its optimal operating size only when needed, resolving the conflict between performance requirements and vascular diameter constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The pump housing is designed to nest within itself or within the catheter structure during the introduction phase, allowing it to pass through small blood vessels. Once in position, the housing expands outward from its nested state to achieve the larger diameter required for optimized pump performance
3Ease of operation
If tight limits are placed on the expansion ability of the pump due to the necessity of accommodating a drive shaft as well as a rotor and pump housing within a small diameter, then the pump can be introduced, but the design requires complex mechanisms for spanning mechanism actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing includes self-expanding elements that automatically expand upon introduction or deployment, eliminating the need for complex external actuation mechanisms. The expansion is achieved through self-service mechanisms such as elastic recovery, shape memory effects, or automatic mechanical deployment that do not require additional spanning mechanism actuation
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter serves as an intermediary structure that facilitates the introduction and deployment of the pump. The pump housing is mounted on or within the catheter, which provides the necessary support and guidance during introduction, while the catheter's structure itself can be used to trigger or enable the pump's expansion without requiring separate complex actuation mechanisms
Data Source
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AI summary
The subject-matter claimed relates to a fluid pump device, in particular for the medical application, with a compressible pump housing (6). Furthermore, a method of operation of the fluid pump device as well as a distal bearing arrangement for the fluid pump device are claimed.