Purge-free miniature pump (100) for the circulation of blood. In one embodiment, a pump is provided that may comprise a housing including a rotor (400) and a stator (300) within a drive unit. In this embodiment, the pump may establish a primary blood (240) flow through the space between the drive unit and the housing and a secondary blood flow (255) between the rotor and stator. In another embodiment, a method is provided introducing the pump into the body and circulating blood using the pump.
