A Tiny Blood Pump That Minimizes Damage to Blood Cells
This patent describes a small, tube-shaped blood pump designed to fit inside a blood vessel, using a spinning fan to move blood without blocking flow and with special features to prevent damage to red blood cells.
Original patent title: “Non-occluding intravascular blood pump providing reduced hemolysis”
This patent describes a small, tube-shaped blood pump designed to fit inside a blood vessel, using a spinning fan to move blood without blocking flow and with special features to prevent damage to red blood cells. Granted in 2026.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes an intravascular pump, meaning it works inside a blood vessel. It features a cylindrical housing, called a shroud, which has an inlet for blood to enter and an outlet for blood to leave. Inside this shroud, an impeller (like a tiny fan) spins, driven by a motor that sits in the very center, sharing the same axis as the shroud and impeller. Several pillars connect the central motor to the shroud, holding everything together. The key goal is to optimize various parts, like the inlet length, impeller shape, pillar angle, and outlet design, to reduce hemolysis, which is the breaking of red blood cells. For example, a patient with a weakened heart could have this pump temporarily inserted to help circulate blood with less harm to their blood cells.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover blood pumps that are designed to completely block the blood vessel where they are placed.
- Does not cover pumps that are used outside of a patient's blood vessels or body.
- Does not cover pumps where the motor is not positioned centrally and sharing an axis with the impeller.
- Does not cover pumps that do not specifically optimize design features to reduce blood cell damage.
- Does not cover pumps that lack a cylindrical housing or shroud for the impeller.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in combining a non-occluding, intravascular pump design with specific structural optimizations (like inlet length, impeller design, and pillar angle) aimed directly at minimizing hemolysis. This focus on reducing blood cell damage through precise mechanical design is a significant improvement for patient safety and device longevity.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Temporary cardiac assist devices
Ventricular assist devices (VADs) for short-term support
Pumps used during minimally invasive heart procedures
Impella heart pumps (though specific design differs)
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Intravascular blood pumps are critical for patients with heart failure or those undergoing complex procedures, providing temporary or long-term support for blood circulation. A major challenge with these devices is hemolysis, where the pump's action damages red blood cells, leading to complications. This patent addresses that by focusing on design features that specifically reduce such damage, potentially improving patient outcomes and allowing for longer device use.
Filed
July 23, 2024
Granted
September 15, 2026
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies like Abiomed (now part of Johnson & Johnson), Medtronic, and Abbott are major players in the field of cardiac assist devices and intravascular blood pumps. These companies continually research and develop new pump technologies aimed at improving patient outcomes and reducing complications like hemolysis, building on fundamental principles described in patents like this one.
Market impact
Improvements in reducing hemolysis directly impact the safety and effectiveness of cardiac assist devices, potentially expanding their use to a wider range of patients and for longer durations. This type of innovation can lead to new product lines with better clinical results, reducing complications and healthcare costs associated with blood transfusions or kidney issues caused by cell damage. It pushes the industry towards more biocompatible and patient-friendly solutions.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes an intravascular pump, meaning it works inside a blood vessel. It features a cylindrical housing, called a shroud, which has an inlet for blood to enter and an outlet for blood to leave. Inside this shroud, an impeller (like a tiny fan) spins, driven by a motor that sits in the very center, sharing the same axis as the shroud and impeller. Several pillars connect the central motor to the shroud, holding everything together. The key goal is to optimize various parts, like the inlet length, impeller shape, pillar angle, and outlet design, to reduce hemolysis, which is the breaking of red blood cells. For example, a patient with a weakened heart could have this pump temporarily inserted to help circulate blood with less harm to their blood cells.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in combining a non-occluding, intravascular pump design with specific structural optimizations (like inlet length, impeller design, and pillar angle) aimed directly at minimizing hemolysis. This focus on reducing blood cell damage through precise mechanical design is a significant improvement for patient safety and device longevity.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover blood pumps that are designed to completely block the blood vessel where they are placed.
- Does not cover pumps that are used outside of a patient's blood vessels or body.
- Does not cover pumps where the motor is not positioned centrally and sharing an axis with the impeller.
- Does not cover pumps that do not specifically optimize design features to reduce blood cell damage.
- Does not cover pumps that lack a cylindrical housing or shroud for the impeller.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$26K – $84K
Midpoint $53K · 17.8 yr remaining · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
Concepts involved
Cite this patent
(2026). A Tiny Blood Pump That Minimizes Damage to Blood Cells (U.S. Patent No. 12,736,054). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12736054/non-occluding-intravascular-blood-pump-providing-reduced-hemolysis
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does A Tiny Blood Pump That Minimizes Damage to Blood Cells cover?
This patent describes a small, tube-shaped blood pump designed to fit inside a blood vessel, using a spinning fan to move blood without blocking flow and with special features to prevent damage to red blood cells.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Intravascular blood pumps are critical for patients with heart failure or those undergoing complex procedures, providing temporary or long-term support for blood circulation. A major challenge with these devices is hemolysis, where the pump's action damages red blood cells, leading to complications. This patent addresses that by focusing on design features that specifically reduce such damage, potentially improving patient outcomes and allowing for longer device use.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover blood pumps that are designed to completely block the blood vessel where they are placed.
Patent monitoring