{
  "patent_number": "US 12736054",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "A Tiny Blood Pump That Minimizes Damage to Blood Cells",
  "original_title": "Non-occluding intravascular blood pump providing reduced hemolysis",
  "summary": "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.",
  "what_it_does": "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.",
  "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."
  ],
  "filed": "2024-07-23",
  "granted": "2026-09-15",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": null,
  "holder_url": null,
  "inventors": [],
  "times_cited": 0,
  "tags": [
    "biotech",
    "medical_devices",
    "mechanical",
    "cardiovascular"
  ],
  "abstract": "A non-occluding intravascular pump comprises a shroud providing an inlet for incoming blood flow and an outlet for outgoing blood flow, wherein the shroud is a cylindrical housing; an impeller positioned within shroud, wherein a central axis of the shroud and impeller are shared; a motor coupled to the impeller, wherein the motor rotates the impeller to causes blood to be drawn through the inlet and output to the outlet, and the motor is centrally disposed and shares the central axis with the shroud and the impeller; and a plurality of pillars coupling the motor to the shroud, wherein the pillars secure the shroud in close proximity to the impeller. Various design features of the pump may be optimized to reduce hemolysis, such as, but not limited to, inlet length, impeller design, pillar angle, and outlet design.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12736054/non-occluding-intravascular-blood-pump-providing-reduced-hemolysis",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12736054/non-occluding-intravascular-blood-pump-providing-reduced-hemolysis/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12736054",
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}