Kenzo Makinouchi

US Patent:

56014180, Feb 11, 1997

Filed:

Jun 8, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/488719

Inventors:

Yasuhisa Ohara - Houston TX
Kenzo Makinouchi - Houston TX
Yukihiko Nose - Houston TX

Assignee:

Kyocera Corporation - Kyoto
Baylor College of Medicine - Houston TX

International Classification:

F04B 1700
F04B 1502

US Classification:

417420

Abstract:

A centrifugal blood pump for heart-lung machines or the like. An impeller is provided with pump vanes and a magnet. The impeller is rotatably accommodated in a casing having an inlet and an outlet. A magnet drive means is disposed outside the casing. The impeller is supported by at least three balls above a bottom plate of the casing, held at the center of the bottom plate and rotated around the center axis of the impeller by the magnet means and the magnet drive means. When the upper and lower ends of the rotation shaft of the impeller are supported by the casing, the upper end of the rotation shaft is supported by a bearing embeddedly disposed at the top section of the conical section of the casing, and the inlet of the casing is disposed adjacent to and eccentric from the top section.

US Patent:

57137307, Feb 3, 1998

Filed:

May 2, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/437553

Inventors:

Yukihiko Nose - Houston TX
Setsuo Takatani - Houston TX
Ichiro Sakuma - Tsurugashima, JP
Yasuhisa Ohara - Houston TX
Kenzo Makinouchi - Houston TX

Assignee:

Kyocera Corporation - Kyoto
Baylor College of Medicine - Houston TX

International Classification:

F04B 3504

US Classification:

41742312

Abstract:

A centrifugal blood pump, used for heart-lung machines or the like, having at least one impeller, a casing having an inlet and an outlet, the casing formed to have a space for rotatably housing the at least one impeller and a magnetic drive disposed outside the casing. The impeller may have vanes attached thereto for forcing fluid through the casing. Further the vanes may have magnets imbedded therein. The magnetic drive and the imbedded magnets cooperate to rotate the impeller. The impeller may have pivots integrated at opposing ends for allowing the impeller to rotate about a horizontal axis. The pivots may be supported by pivot bearings disposed within the casing. The pivots and the pivot bearings may be made of a ceramic material.

US Patent:

58037209, Sep 8, 1998

Filed:

Oct 30, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/739544

Inventors:

Yasuhisa Ohara - Houston TX
Kenzo Makinouchi - Houston TX
Yukihiko Nose - Houston TX

Assignee:

Kyocera Corporation - Kyoto
Baylor College of Medicine - Houston TX

International Classification:

F04B 1700
F04D 2904

US Classification:

417420

Abstract:

A centrifugal blood pump used for heart-lung machines or the like comprising an impeller provided with pump vanes and a magnet means such as permanent magnets, a casing having an inlet port and an outlet port and rotatably accommodating the impeller, and a magnet drive means disposed outside the casing, wherein the impeller is supported by at least three balls above the bottom plate of the casing, held at the center of the bottom plate and rotated around the center axis of the impeller by the magnet means and the magnet drive means. When the upper and lower ends of the rotation shaft of the impeller are supported by the casing, the upper end of the rotation shaft is supported by a bearing embeddedly disposed at the top section of the conical section of the casing, and the inlet port of the casing is disposed adjacent to and eccentric from the top section.

US Patent:

55756301, Nov 19, 1996

Filed:

Aug 8, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/512307

Inventors:

Tadashi Nakazawa - Houston TX
Yoshiyuki Takami - Houston TX
Kenzo Makinouchi - Houston TX
Yukihiko Nose - Houston TX

Assignee:

Kyocera Corporation - Kyoto
Baylor College of Medicine - Houston TX

International Classification:

F04B 1703

US Classification:

417420

Abstract:

A blood pump used for heart-lung machines comprising an impeller, a casing having a suction inlet and a delivery outlet and rotatably encasing the impeller, a magnetic driver disposed outside the casing, and a magnetic attraction force adjuster. The impeller has a rotationally symmetric shape, such as a conical shape, is equipped with vanes having a pumping function on the side surface thereof and is also equipped with magnets, such as permanent magnets. The magnetic driver for rotating the impeller in cooperation with the magnets comprises a magnet assembly magnetically connected to the magnets and a rotation driver for rotating the magnet assembly. The magnetic attraction force adjuster adjusts the magnetic attraction force generated between the magnets and the magnet assembly by adjusting the gap between the magnets and the magnet assembly or by adjusting the exciting current of electromagnets when electromagnets are used for the magnet assembly. One of the pivot and pivot bearing for supporting the rotation shaft of the impeller is made of ceramics and the other is made of synthetic resin.

US Patent:

56832311, Nov 4, 1997

Filed:

Jul 3, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/675014

Inventors:

Tadashi Nakazawa - Houston TX
Yoshiyuki Takami - Houston TX
Kenzo Makinouchi - Houston TX
Yukihiko Nose - Houston TX

Assignee:

Kyocera Corporation - Kyoto

International Classification:

F04B 1703

US Classification:

417420

Abstract:

A blood pump used for heart-lung machines comprising an impeller, a casing having a suction inlet and a delivery outlet and rotatably encasing the impeller, a magnetic driver disposed outside the casing, and a magnetic attraction force adjuster. The impeller has a rotationally symmetric shape, such as a conical shape, is equipped with vanes having a pumping function on the side surface thereof and is also equipped with magnets, such as permanent magnets. The magnetic driver for rotating the impeller in cooperation with the magnets comprises a magnet assembly magnetically connected to the magnets and a rotation driver for rotating the magnet assembly. The magnetic attraction force adjuster adjusts the magnetic attraction force generated between the magnets and the magnet assembly by adjusting the gap between the magnets and the magnet assembly or by adjusting the exciting current of electromagnets when electromagnets are used for the magnet assembly. One of the pivot and pivot bearing for supporting the rotation shaft of the impeller is made of ceramics and the other is made of synthetic resin.