One thousand dollar assist heart pump for patients from developing countries.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Devices
• Medical Technology Innovation

Background:

• High cost of existing artificial heart pumps limits widespread clinical application.
• Current devices often exceed 100,000 US Dollars, posing a significant financial barrier.
• Need for affordable alternatives for heart failure recovery and bridge to transplantation therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective artificial heart pump with a target price of 1000 US Dollars.
• To enhance the longevity and safety of implantable cardiac assist devices.
• To address the limitations of current artificial heart pumps in terms of price and durability.

Main Methods:

• Design of a radially driven centrifugal pump with a brushless DC motor and streamlined impeller.
• Implementation of a novel rolling bearing system using wear-proof polythene needles for extended service life (>10 years).
• Introduction of a special purge system with heparinized saline infusion to prevent thrombus formation within the bearing and pump.

Main Results:

• The developed heart pump achieved continuous laboratory operation for 14 months with no measurable bearing wear.
• The device demonstrated a 10-year service life potential due to its specialized bearing design.
• Animal experiments confirmed that 30 mL/hour fluid infusion effectively prevents thrombus formation.
• The fully implantable device weighs 150g, consumes 9.6W, delivers 9L/min blood flow against 120 mmHg, and achieves 24.7% peak efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The developed low-cost artificial heart pump shows significant promise for improving accessibility to advanced cardiac therapies.
• The innovative design, particularly the bearing and purge system, ensures durability and prevents thrombus formation.
• Successful animal and human trials indicate the potential of this device for clinical use in heart failure management.