ECP Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH

The invention relates to a fluid pump or rotary cutter having at least one first element ( 9 ″', 10 ″') which can be brought from a transport state into an operating state by changing at least one mechanical property. Such a pump can, for example, be a blood pump for the medical, microinvasive area. The object of achieving a transition between the transport state and the operating state which is as comfortable as possible and in so doing leaving a freedom in the design of the corresponding apparatus, in particular of a pump, which is as large as possible, is achieved using the means of the invention in that the first element at least partly comprises a material (24, 25, 26, 27 ) or can be filled with a material or material mixture which passes through a chemical reaction, in particular cross-linking, or a crystallization for transition into the operating state.

The invention relates to a fluid pump having at least one impeller blade ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″) which is rotatable about an axis of rotation ( 3 ) and conveys a fluid in operation and comprising a support device ( 4 , 6 , 7 , 8, 9, 10, 12, 12 ′, 13, 13 ′, 14, 14 ′, 15 , 17 ) which supports the at least one impeller blade ( 1 , 1 ′, 1 ″) in at least one support region, wherein the support device is changeable between a first state in which the rotor is radially compressed and a second state in which the rotor is radially expanded; and wherein at least one impeller blade extends at least partly radially inwardly with respect to the axis of rotation ( 3 ) from the support region/support regions in the radially expanded state of the rotor.

The invention relates to a rotor for a fluid pump, in particular for use in the medical sphere, the rotor being compressible for bringing to the place of use and thereafter being expandable. The compressibility is assisted by the provision of cavities, in particular also production of the rotor at least partially from a foam.

The invention relates to a compressible and expandable blade for the rotor of a fluid pump having at least two lamellae which are disposed adjacently, are pivo table respectively relative to an axis of rotation of the rotor and moveable relative to each other, and abut against each other in the expanded state of the blade such that they form together a continuous blade surface.

The application relates to a pump, in particular blood pump. The pump comprises a drive shaft ( 3 ) which runs in an axial direction, a delivery element ( 6 ) which is connected to the drive shaft ( 3 ) in a distal region of this, and a housing ( 5 ) which surrounds the delivery element ( 6 ). The delivery element ( 6 ) and the housing ( 5 ) are designed in a manner such that these automatically unfold after a forced compression. The housing ( 5 ) moreover comprises an inlet region ( 22 ) with at least one inlet opening ( 23 ), a fluid-tight region ( 20 ) which surrounds a region of the delivery element ( 6 ), and an outlet region ( 24 ) with at least one opening ( 23 ) for the exit of the pump medium. The delivery element ( 6 ) is arranged in a manner such that it projects into the outlet region ( 24 ).

The invention relates to a rotor for a compressible fluid pump, in particular a blood pump that can be introduced through a blood vessel into a patient's body, wherein said rotor comprises one or more conveying elements ( 15 ), is compressible and expandable between a first compressed state and a second radially expanded state, is made at least partially from a plastic reinforced with reinforcing elements, in particular fibers ( 10 , 11 , 13 , 18 , 19 , 55 , 56 , 62, 63 ) and is provided for rotation about an axis of rotation ( 14 ). According to the invention, the rotor is tensioned in the first, compressed state and free from external stresses in the second, expanded state. A third state exists, which the rotor ( 42 ) occupies in the operating state under load. The reinforcing elements, in particular fibers, extend in the rotor in the third state at least in sections in a stretched manner.

An external drive unit for an implantable heart assist pump is provided. The drive unit comprises a motor housing, a transcutaneous drive shaft and a motor for driving the heart assist pump. The motor is connectable to the heart assist pump via the drive shaft, and the motor is arranged inside the motor housing. The drive unit further comprises a catheter surrounding the drive shaft and a purge line for injecting a purge medium into a lumen of the catheter or into a space between the catheter and the drive shaft. The purge line is in thermal contact with an outer surface of the motor housing and/or with an outer surface of a proximal section of the catheter. Due to the thermal contact heat is transferred from the outer surface of the catheter in the proximal section and/or from the outer surface of the motor housing to the purge medium.

A flexible shaft arrangement is described herein having a flexible hollow shaft ( 1, 2 ) which has an end at the drive side and an end at the output side, wherein the hollow shaft is reinforced sectionally between these ends by a core ( 3, 4 ) extending in its interior. Stiffer and more flexible sections can hereby be selectively positioned within the shaft arrangement.

Sheath assembly for the insertion of a cord-shaped element, comprising an introducer sheath, and an auxiliary sheath for insertion into the introducer sheath together with the cord-shaped element. In some examples, the auxiliary sheath has a housing configured to detachably couple to the introducer sheath housing, and to detachably fasten the cord-shaped element with respect to the auxiliary sheath housing.

In a rotor for a fluid pump which is made radially compressible and expandable and has a hub and at least one conveying element which has a plurality of struts and at least one membrane which can be spanned between them, provision is made for a design in accordance with the invention which is as simple and inexpensive as possible that at least one first group of struts is pivotable in a pivot plane, starting from a common base, and can thus be spanned open in the manner of a fan, wherein the conveying element lies along the hub and contacts it over its full length in the expanded state to avoid a pressure loss at the margin of the conveying element between it and the hub and thus to realize an optimum efficiency.