Nontraumatic heart pump

Claim 2

A blood pump comprising an external housing, a flexible bladder disposed in said housing, said bladder and housing defining a pumping chamber therebetween, said bladder including an inflow and outflow opening, an inflow valve assembly associated with said inflow opening and an outflow valve assembly associated with said outflow opening, said inflow and outflow valve assemblies each including a valve chamber and a valve disposed in said chamber, said valve chamber including a valve seat upstream in said chamber, said valve adapted to cooperate with said seat, said valve chamber cooperating with said valve for defining a constant flow path across section for constant flow velocity therethrough for minimizing flow turbulence, each of said valves comprising a central core having an upstream surface portion adapted to seat on said valve seat and downstream outwardly extending vanes cooperating with the valve chamber for guiding the valve and limiting its movement between its seated and unseated position.

Claim 3

A blood pump as in claim 1 in which said vanes are inclined in the axial direction whereby the flow of blood past the valve causes the valve to maintain even contact with said valve seat and minimize wear therebetween.

Claim 4

A blood pump as in claim 1 in which said flexible bladder includes a central cylindrical portion with the ends inclined inwardly to form said inflow and outflow openings, said cylindrical portion including thick portions extended along diametrically opposite sides for providing preferential collapse when subjected to pumping pressure.

Claim 5

A blood pump as in claim 1 in which the inner surface of said flexible bladder and in-flow and out-flow assemblies are provided with a surface containing microcavities to promote anchoring of fibrin and cellular deposits to form a pseudointimal lining.

Claim 6

A blood pump comprising a cylindrical housing having first and second open ends, a flexible bladder disposed in said housing, said bladder including an inflow and outflow opening extending beyond said first and second open ends for presenting a continuous internal surface to fluids flowing through for minimizing flow turbulence, an inflow valve assembly associated with said inflow opening and an outflow valve assembly associated with said outflow opening, said inflow and outflow valve assemblies each including a valve chamber, a valve seat surrounding the upstream ends of said valve chambers, a valve disposed in each of said chambers, each of said valves including a central core having an upstream surface adapted to engage said valve seat and down stream outwardly extending vanes cooperating with the valve chamber to guide the valve and serving to define with said chamber a plurality of flow passages providing a constant flow path cross section through said valve chambers for constant flow velocity therethrough thereby minimizing flow turbulence, and means for sealing the space between the housing and the bladder near said open ends to provide a pumping chamber surrounding the bladder, and an inlet to said pumping chamber.

Claim 7

A blood pump comprising a cylindrical housing having first and second open ends, a flexible bladder disposed in said housing, said bladder including an inflow and outflow opening extending beyond said first and second open ends for presenting a continuous internal surface to fluids flowing through for minimizing flow turbulence, an inflow valve assembly associated with said inflow opening and an outflow valve assembly associated with said outflow opening, said inflow and outflow valve assemblies each including a valve chamber, a valve seat surrounding the upstream ends of said valve chambers, a valve disposed in each of said chambers, each of said valves including a central core having an upstream surface adapted to engage said valve seat and down stream outwardly extending vanes cooperating with the valve chamber to guide the valve and serving to define with said chamber a plurality of flow passages providing a constant flow path cross section through said valve chambers for constant flow velocity therethrough thereby minimizing flow turbulence, and means for sealing the space between the housing and the bladder near said open ends to provide a pumping chamber surrounding the bladder, and an inlet to said pumping chamber.

Claim 8

A blood pump as in claim 5 in which said vanes are inclined in the axial direction Whereby the flow of blood past the valve causes the valve to rotate and attain a new seating orientation.

Claim 9

A blood pump as in claim 5 in which said bladder has a substantially cylindrical central portion when distended and in which said cylindrical portion includes thick portions extended along diametrically opposite sides to provide for preferential collapse of said flexible bladder.

Claim 10

A blood pump as in claim 5 wherein te inner surface of said bladder contains microcavities to promote anchoring of fibrin and cellular deposits to form a pseudointimal lining.

Claim 11

A blood pump as in claim 5 wherein said housing comprises first and second disposable portions adapted to be connected to one another to form the cylindrical housing and wherein said flexible bladder is disposable and said means for sealing comprises means for permanently adhering the bladder to the housing near said open ends.

Claim 12

A blood pump as in claim 5 wherein the ends of the housing and the bladder are shaped to form said valve chambers.