Implantable axialflow blood pump for left ventricular support.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Devices
• Hemodynamics

Background:

• Current ventricular assist devices (VADs) have limited lifespans due to blood damage and mechanical wear.
• Magnetically suspended rotary blood pumps offer potential for extended life and reduced hemocompatibility issues.
• The University of Virginia has developed a fully implantable, magnetically levitated axial flow VAD (LEV-VAD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the second-generation prototype (LEV-VAD2) of a magnetically levitated VAD.
• To perform a comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the LEV-VAD2's performance.
• To optimize the design for enhanced flow performance and magnetic suspension capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Iterative design optimization of impeller and blade geometry.
• Extensive CFD analysis to evaluate hydraulic performance and blood flow path.
• Numerical prediction of blood damage, axial/radial forces, and suspension compensation.

Main Results:

• The LEV-VAD2 design achieves 6 lpm and 100 mmHg at 7,000 rpm.
• Predicted performance supports adequate flow across physiologic pressures (5,000–8,000 rpm).
• Acceptable blood damage levels and forces within magnetic suspension compensation range were predicted.

Conclusions:

• The LEV-VAD2 demonstrates favorable performance characteristics through CFD analysis.
• The design shows potential for overcoming limitations of current VAD technology.
• The LEV-VAD2 is selected for prototype manufacturing and further experimental validation.