Thoratec Corporation

Tc1 LLC

Ntn Corporation

Thoratee Corporation

Ken Sugiura

Hiroyuki Yamada

Takayoshi Ozaki

Kenichi Suzuki

Takeshi Tsubouchi

Takehisa Mori

The present power generator includes: a rotor including a plurality of permanent magnets arranged in a rotation direction; a stator including a plurality of coils provided to face the plurality of permanent magnets, each of the plurality of coils being configured to generate AC voltage during rotation of the rotor; and a plurality of magnetic bodies respectively provided in the plurality of coils, in a direction of center axis of each of the coils, a length (Lm) of each of the magnetic bodies being set to be shorter than a length (Lc) of each of the coils. Accordingly, a larger amount of power than that in a coreless structure is generated.

Power generator

This centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes an impeller () provided in a blood chamber (), and a plurality of coils () provided in a motor chamber () for driving the impeller () to rotate with a dividing wall () interposed therebetween. A flexible substrate () in the shape of a strip is arranged to surround outer circumferences of the plurality of coils (), and is connected to the plurality of coils () and a connector (). A driving voltage (VU, VV, VW) is externally supplied to the plurality of coils () via the connector () and the flexible substrate (). Thus, assembling workability, productivity and reliability are improved.

Rotation drive device and centrifugal pump apparatus employing same

A centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes a plurality of permanent magnets () in an impeller () in a blood chamber (), a plurality of coils () in a motor chamber (), and a magnetic element () in each of the coils (). The magnetic elements () are made shorter than the coils () to lower attractive force between the magnetic elements () and the permanent magnets () in the impeller (), to set a large gap between the magnetic elements () and the permanent magnets (). As a result, axial attractive force and negative rigidity can be lowered while required torque is satisfied.

Centrifugal pump apparatus

In this centrifugal blood pump apparatus, one permanent magnet is provided in one surface of an impeller, a second permanent magnet is provided in an inner wall of a blood chamber, a third permanent magnet is provided in the other surface of the impeller, and a fourth permanent magnet and a rotor for driving the impeller to rotate are provided, with an diaphragm being interposed. An amount of change in attractive force between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet and an amount of change in attractive force between the third and fourth permanent magnets when the impeller is eccentric are made substantially equal to each other. Therefore, a levitation position of the impeller can always be maintained at a substantially central position in a housing.

A centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes an impeller provided in a blood chamber, first and second permanent magnets provided in one surface and the other surface of the impeller respectively, a third permanent magnet provided in an inner wall of the blood chamber, and a magnetic element and a coil for driving the impeller to rotate with a diaphragm being interposed. First and second grooves for hydrodynamic bearing different in shape and depth from each other are formed in the inner wall of the blood chamber facing the impeller, and third and fourth grooves for hydrodynamic bearing different in shape and depth from each other are formed in the diaphragm facing the impeller. The second and fourth grooves for hydrodynamic bearing generate high hydrodynamic pressure when the impeller is activated to rotate, while the first and third grooves for hydrodynamic bearing generate high hydrodynamic pressure when the impeller steadily rotates.

This centrifugal blood pump device comprises an impeller which is provided within a blood chamber, a permanent magnet which is provided to one surface of the impeller, a permanent magnet which is provided to the inner wall of the blood chamber, permanent magnets which are provided to the other surface of the impeller, and multiple sets of magnetic bodies and coils, which are disposed within a motor chamber and which rotationally drive the impeller with a partition wall located between the impeller and the sets of magnetic bodies and coils. The magnetic bodies are formed in a solid cylindrical shape. The configuration enables the impeller to be smoothly activated for rotation by controlling a coil current.

Centrifugal pump device

This centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes an impeller provided in a blood chamber, a permanent magnet provided in one surface of the impeller, and a permanent magnet provided in an inner wall of the blood chamber, for attracting the permanent magnet. A centerline of the permanent magnet is arranged at a position different from that of a centerline of a sidewall of the blood chamber such that a rotation centerline of the impeller matches the centerline of the sidewall of the blood chamber during pump operation. Therefore, high torque transmission efficiency is obtained.

A centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes an impeller provided in a blood chamber, a permanent magnet provided in one surface of the impeller, a permanent magnet provided in an inner wall of the blood chamber, a permanent magnet provided in the other surface of the impeller, and a magnetic material and a coil provided in a motor chamber for driving the impeller to rotate via a diaphragm. Grooves for hydrodynamic bearing are formed in the diaphragm facing the impeller, and in the inner wall of the blood chamber, respectively. As a result, the impeller can be smoothly activated to drive by controlling a coil current.

This centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes an impeller provided in a blood chamber, a first permanent magnet provided in one surface of the impeller, and a second permanent magnet provided in an inner wall of the blood chamber, for attracting the first permanent magnet. The attractive force between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet on the opening side of a sidewall of the blood chamber is set to be smaller than the attractive force between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet on the opposite side of the opening. As a result, inclination of the impeller with respect to a dividing wall during pump operation can be prevented.

A centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes an impeller provided in a blood chamber, a plurality of permanent magnets provided in the impeller, and a plurality of sets of magnetic materials and coils provided in a motor chamber for driving the impeller to rotate with a diaphragm interposed therebetween. The plurality of permanent magnets are aligned with a gap therebetween in a rotation direction of the impeller. Accordingly, if the weight of the permanent magnets is maintained at a constant value, a magnetic field can be strengthened even with a wide motor gap due to the diaphragm, as compared to an example where there is no gap between the permanent magnets.

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Iwata, Japan

Ken Sugiura