Hydrodynamic chamfer thrust bearing

摘要

An axial flow pump for a blood circulating pump for the circulation of blood, the rotor the rotor being constructed and arranged to impel blood in a downstream direction upon rotation of the rotor about its axis in a forward circumferential direction. The rotor is provided with hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces, each such thrust bearing surface being constructed and arranged to apply a hydrodynamic force to the rotor with a component of the force in the downstream direction upon rotation of the rotor in the forward circumferential direction.

主权项

1. A rotor for a blood circulating pump for the circulation of blood, the rotor comprising a magnetic, biocompatible body having an upstream end, a downstream end and an axis extending between the ends on which the rotor circumferentially rotates, the body including a plurality of vanes defining a plurality of channels therebetween, the rotor being constructed and arranged to impel blood downstream upon rotation of the rotor about the axis in a forward circumferential direction, the vanes having hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces, each such thrust bearing surface having a normal vector with non-zero components in the upstream and circumferentially forward directions and being constructed and arranged to apply a hydrodynamic force to the rotor with a component of the force in a downstream direction along the axis upon rotation of the rotor in the forward circumferential direction, wherein the vanes include chamfer surfaces generally in the form of portions of a conical surface of revolution about the axis having increasing diameter in the downstream direction, each of the chamfer surfaces including at least one hydrodynamic thrust bearing surface recessed relative to surrounding portions of the chamfer surfaces so that each thrust bearing surface is positioned completely on a particular chamfer surface and each thrust bearing surface defines a pocket in the chamfer surface, wherein the chamfered surfaces include a chamfer angle such that the chamfered surfaces are positioned at an angle relative to the axis and a generally cylindrical surface of revolution of the biocompatible body, the chamfer angle is in the range of about 20 degrees to less than about 45 degrees.