A blood pump including a housing having an inflow tube defining a major axis spanning through the inflow tube and a flow path spanning along the major axis, a rotor disposed within the inflow tube, the rotor and the inflow tube defining a gap therebetween, a stator surrounding the inflow tube and the rotor, and the housing defining an access conduit spanning through the inflow tube and the stator transverse to the major axis, the access conduit being in communication with the gap.