Patent ID: 8579858

Claim:
A catheter pump intended to be inserted in the circulatory system of a mammal, for example for assisting the heart, comprising: a hollow catheter; a drive cable arranged in a lumen of said hollow catheter; a drive shaft connected to a distal end of the drive cable to be rotated by the drive cable; a proximal housing coupled to the proximal end of the drive shaft; a distal housing coupled to the distal end of the drive shaft; several filaments extending between the proximal housing and the distal housing, and; a propeller arranged on the drive shaft between the proximal housing and the distal housing; a distal bearing positioned in the distal housing for supporting a portion of the drive shaft; a proximal bearing positioned in the proximal housing for supporting a portion of the drive shaft; a purge system for passing fluid along the hollow catheter to said proximal bearing, for purging and lubrication of said proximal bearing; and channel means being arranged in the rotating drive shaft for passing fluid from said proximal bearing to said distal bearing, for purging and lubrication of said distal bearing; wherein said drive shaft is surrounded by a sleeve extending between the proximal housing and the distal housing, wherein the sleeve is movable in an axial direction along the drive shaft, and wherein the channel means is arranged between the drive shaft and the sleeve.