Development of Eddy Current Sensor systems in artificial heart for noncontact gap sensing

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Axial flow pumps are crucial components in artificial organs, requiring precise control of impeller position.
• Magnetic bearings levitate the impeller, necessitating continuous gap sensing for stable operation.
• Conventional gap sensors are too large for implantation in compact artificial hearts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact eddy current sensor system suitable for artificial heart applications.
• To evaluate the performance of the developed eddy current sensor system.
• To address the limitations of conventional gap sensors in terms of size and integration.

Main Methods:

• Development of a miniaturized eddy current sensor system.
• Integration of the sensor system with an axial flow pump's magnetic bearing.
• Performance evaluation of the sensor system, including size and sensing capabilities.

Main Results:

• The developed eddy current sensor system demonstrated a compact size, suitable for artificial heart implantation.
• The system achieved good performance in continuous gap sensing for the impeller.
• Identified dependencies on temperature and target material, along with nonlinear sensor output.

Conclusions:

• The compact eddy current sensor system is a viable solution for gap sensing in artificial hearts.
• Further calibration studies are required to address temperature and material dependencies and nonlinearities.
• This sensor technology holds potential for improving the control and reliability of artificial organs.