Patent ID: 7070398
Filing Date: 2006-07-04
Classification: A61M,F16C

Abstract:
1. A blood pump, comprising: a stator having a cavity extending therethrough; an impeller, rotatably disposed and magnetically suspended within the cavity of the stator, the impeller defining an axis of rotation, and the stator and impeller defining a fluid passage therebetween; a plurality of magnetic bearings, including passive permanent and active electromagnetic magnets, suspending the impeller within the cavity of the stator, including an axial bearing to support the impeller axially in the cavity; the axial bearing including an array of adjacent bearing sets arrayed axially with respect to the axis of rotation, each bearing set including an impeller magnet on the impeller and a stator magnet on the stator, the impeller and stator magnets being radially aligned across the fluid passage from one another; adjacent impeller magnets and adjacent stator magnets having axially aligned polarities and reverse polarities with respect to adjacent magnets; and a motor including impeller magnets on the impeller and coils/magnetic poles associated with the stator.