Patent ID: 7753645

Claim:
A pump apparatus comprising: a pump housing defining a pumping chamber, the pump housing having a spindle extending into the pumping chamber; a rotor configured to rotate about the spindle, the rotor including an impeller comprising at least one blade; a rotor portion of an axial magnetic bearing disposed within a non-bladed portion of the rotor; and a spindle portion of the axial magnetic bearing disposed within the spindle, wherein the spindle and rotor portions of the axial magnetic bearing are configured to attract each other, wherein at least one of the rotor and spindle portions of the axial magnetic bearing comprises a first and a second magnet, wherein the first and second magnets are arranged proximate each other with their respective magnetic vectors opposing each other, wherein at least one of the pump housing and the rotor has surfaces contoured to generate a hydrodynamic bearing between the rotor and pump housing.