Feasibility of a TinyPump system for pediatric CPB, ECMO, and circulatory assistance: hydrodynamic performances of...

The TinyPump is a miniature centrifugal blood pump with an extremely small priming volume of 5 ml, allowing blood transfusion free cardiopulmonary bypass as well as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in pediatric patients. In this study, a new pump housing with the angled inlet port (25 degrees toward impeller center with respect to the flow axis) was designed to optimize the pump displaced volume and to extend the application of the TinyPump to implantable support The fluid dynamic performance analysis revealed that the head pressure losses increased from 3 to 17 mm Hg in comparison with straight port design as the pump rotational speed increased from 2,000 to 4,000 rpm. This was probably caused by perturbed flow patterns at the site of the inlet bent port area and streamline hitting the off-center of the impeller. No significant effect on pumping efficiency was observed because of modification in inlet port design. Modification in the inflow and outflow port designs together with the drive mechanism reduces the height of the pump system, including the motor, to 27 mm yielding the displaced volume of 68 ml in comparison with 40 mm of the paracorporeal system with the displaced volume of 105 ml. Further analysis in terms of hemolytic as well as antithrombogenic performance will be carried out to finalize the housing design for the implantable version of the TinyPump.