Cardiobridge Gmbh

Oeyvind Reitan

Klaus Epple

A catheter pump intended to be inserted in the circulatory system, for example for assisting the heart, including a hollow catheter, a sheath, a drive cable, a drive shaft, a propeller, a proximal housing, a distal housing, and several filaments. Axial movement of the sheath in relation to the catheter brings the distal housing closer to the proximal housing so that said filaments are unfolded to form a cage. The propeller is pivotable between a first folded position, in which the propeller is parallel with the drive shaft and an unfolded position in which the propeller is perpendicular to the drive shaft. Axial movement of the sheath in a first movement unfolds the cage and in a second subsequent movement, actuation pins of the sleeve act upon a cam surface that unfolds the propeller.

Catheter pump for circulatory support

The invention refers to a catheter pump to be positioned in the ascending aorta () near the aortic valve () of a human being, comprising an elongated sleevewith a drive cable () extending through the sleeve and connectable at its proximal end to an external drive source and a drive rotor near the distal end of the drive cable () mounted on a drive shaft () being connected with the drive cable (), wherein the drive rotor consist of a propeller () being enclosed in a cage () and wherein the propeller () and the cage () are foldable from an insertion position close to the drive shaft () to an expanded working position, characterized by means () for anchoring the drive rotor () in the ascending aorta () near the aortic valve () after insertion. The invention also refers to a method to position the pumping means of a catheter pump in the ascending aorta () just above the aortic valve ().

Catheter pump

A catheter pump intended to be inserted in the circulatory system of a mammal, for example for assisting the heart. The catheter pump comprises: a hollow catheter (); a drive cable () arranged in a lumen () of the catheter (); a sheath () surrounding the hollow catheter (); a drive shaft () connected to a distal end of the drive cable () to be rotated by the drive cable; a propeller () arranged at the drive shaft; and a cage () surrounding the propeller. The propeller and the cage are moveable from a folded position, wherein the catheter pump has a small cross-sectional dimension of about 3.3 mm to an unfolded position wherein the unfolded cage surrounds the unfolded propeller and the size of the cage is about 19.5 mm. The drive shaft comprises a distal bearing () and a proximal bearing (). A purge system is arranged for passing fluid in a lumen () along the hollow catheter to the proximal bearing, for purging and lubrication of the proximal bearing. The fluid is returned outside the drive wire. A portion of the fluid is passed into channels () for passing fluid from the proximal bearing to the distal bearing, for purging and lubrication of the distal bearing.

Growing community of inventors

Lund, Sweden

Oeyvind Reitan