Importance

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Abstract

Highly-miniaturized rotary artificial hearts small enough to be implanted within the natural heart are provided. The entire radial load of a high-speed pump rotor and most of the axial load is carried by a radially stable arrangement of high-energy-product permanent magnets. The rotor is fully suspended and rotated magnetically, with the exception of a single thrust-bearing contact point which utilizes ultra-hard, wear-resistant material, preferentially diamond, located at the axis of rotation in a high-flow region of the pump. No sensors or electromagnets are required for the bearings. One preferred embodiment utilizes dual mirror-image axial or mixed flow impellers mounted on a single axis so as to pump from a central inflow port out both ends of the device. This achieves thrust balancing, reduces pump speed by approximately half for a given flow and pressure, and is well-accommodated anatomically with double outflow grafts, one anastomosed directly to the aorta within the heart, and the second connected via the apex to the descending thoracic aorta.

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First Claim