Patent · US Expired

Magnetically suspended rotor axial flow blood pump

US4779614A · kind A · utility

355Cited by
4References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 9, 1987
Grant dateOct 25, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 9, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S415/90
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An implantable axial flow blood pump maximizes the blood flow while minimizing the dimensions of the pump. By magnetically suspending a rotor of relatively small diameter coaxially in a cylindrical blood conduit of substantially larger inner diameter, an adequate flow area through the pump is provided, and the need for bearings, lubrication and seal purging fluid is eliminated. This is made possible by the use of neodymium-boron-iron rotor magnets which allow a substantial gap between the static motor armature and the rotor. The rotor is simultaneously torqued and maintained in a position coaxial with the blood conduit by individually varying the current in the armature windings while they are being commutated. The position of the rotor axis is accurately sensed by placing magnetically permeable strips into opposite ends of the pump stator blades in such a manner that they transmit to Hall sensors variations in an annular magnetic field surrounding the rotor adjacent the ends of the pump stator blades.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.