Distal bearing support in catheters
Summary
USPTO granted patent US12594415B2 to TC1 LLC on April 7, 2026, covering a catheter pump design with an expandable support mechanism for reducing tip gap changes due to bending. The patent discloses a system including an elongated catheter body with an expandable cannula, impeller assembly with blades, and a distal support structure. The invention comprises 17 claims and provides intellectual property protection for the disclosed medical device configuration.
What changed
USPTO issued patent grant US12594415B2 to TC1 LLC for a distal bearing support system in catheter pumps. The patent covers an expandable support with a mounting portion disposed on the impeller shaft distal of the impeller body and a cannula contact portion for reducing tip gap changes due to bending. The expandable cannula has both delivery and operational profiles, with the operational profile being larger than the delivery profile.
For manufacturers and developers of catheter pumps and related medical devices, this patent establishes intellectual property protection around the distal bearing support technology. Entities developing similar catheter pump systems with expandable supports or bearing mechanisms should review the patent claims to assess potential infringement risks and consider designing around the protected configuration. The 17 claims provide broad coverage around the specific structural arrangements disclosed.
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Archived snapshot
Apr 7, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Distal bearing support
Grant US12594415B2 Kind: B2 Apr 07, 2026
Assignee
TC1 LLC
Inventors
Richard L. Keenan, Keif M. Fitzgerald
Abstract
In various embodiments, a catheter pump is disclosed herein. The catheter pump can include an elongated catheter body having a distal portion including an expandable cannula having an inlet and an outlet. The expandable cannula can have a delivery profile and an operational profile larger than the delivery profile. An impeller assembly can include an impeller shaft, and an impeller body can include one or more blades. The impeller blades can draw blood into the cannula when rotated. Further, an expandable support can have a mounting portion disposed on the impeller shaft distal of the impeller body and a cannula contact portion for reducing a change in tip gap due to bending of the cannula. The cannula contact portion can be disposed distal of the mounting portion.
CPC Classifications
A61M 60/414 A61M 60/13 A61M 60/237 A61M 60/148 A61M 60/174 A61M 60/216 A61M 60/81 A61M 60/825 A61M 60/857 F04D 29/04 F04D 29/043 F04D 29/046 F04D 1/00
Filing Date
2022-11-10
Application No.
18054494
Claims
17
Named provisions
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