초록 ▼

This invention relates to rotary pumps adapted, but not exclusively, for use as artificial hearts or ventricular assist devices and, in particular, discloses in preferred forms a seal-less shaft-less pump featuring open or closed (shrouded) impeller blades with the edges of the blades used as hydrod

This invention relates to rotary pumps adapted, but not exclusively, for use as artificial hearts or ventricular assist devices and, in particular, discloses in preferred forms a seal-less shaft-less pump featuring open or closed (shrouded) impeller blades with the edges of the blades used as hydrodynamic thrust bearing and with electromagnetic torque provided by the interaction between magnets embedded in the blades and a rotating current pattern generated in coils fixed relative to the pump housing.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A rotary blood pump having an impeller suspended solely hydrodynamically within a pump housing by thrust forces generated by the impeller during movement in use of the impeller as it rotates about an impeller axis, and wherein said thrust forces are generated by edges o

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A rotary blood pump having an impeller suspended solely hydrodynamically within a pump housing by thrust forces generated by the impeller during movement in use of the impeller as it rotates about an impeller axis, and wherein said thrust forces are generated by edges of said blades of said impeller; and wherein said edges of said blades are shaped such that a gap between distal edges of each blade and the adjacent pump housing at the leading edge of the blade is greater than at the trailing edge so that the fluid which is drawn through the gap experiences a wedge shaped restriction which generates a thrust.