The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 19, 2013
Filed:
Mar. 25, 2011
Mark W. Mcbride, Bellefonte, PA (US);
Thomas M. Mallison, State College, PA (US);
Gregory P. Dillon, State College, PA (US);
Robert L. Campbell, State College, PA (US);
David A. Boger, Glenside, PA (US);
Stephen A. Hambric, State College, PA (US);
Robert F. Kunz, State College, PA (US);
James P. Runt, State College, PA (US);
Justin M. Walsh, Spring Mills, PA (US);
Boris Leschinsky, Mahwah, NJ (US);
Mark W. McBride, Bellefonte, PA (US);
Thomas M. Mallison, State College, PA (US);
Gregory P. Dillon, State College, PA (US);
Robert L. Campbell, State College, PA (US);
David A. Boger, Glenside, PA (US);
Stephen A. Hambric, State College, PA (US);
Robert F. Kunz, State College, PA (US);
James P. Runt, State College, PA (US);
Justin M. Walsh, Spring Mills, PA (US);
Boris Leschinsky, Mahwah, NJ (US);
Thoratec Corporation, Pleasanton, CA (US);
The Penn State Research Foundation, University Park, PA (US);
Abstract
An impeller includes a hub, and a plurality of blades supported by the hub, the blades being arranged in at least two blade rows. The impeller has a deployed configuration in which the blades extend away from the hub, and a stored configuration in which at least one of the blades is radially compressed, for example by folding the blade towards the hub. The impeller may also have an operational configuration in which at least some of the blades are deformed from the deployed configuration upon rotation of the impeller when in the deployed configuration. The outer edge of one or more blades may have a winglet, and the base of the blades may have an associated indentation to facilitate folding of the blades.