Controlled pitch-adjustment of impeller blades for an intravascular blood pump

Thousands of mechanical blood pumps are currently providing circulatory support, and the incidence of their use continues to increase each year. As the use of blood pumps becomes more pervasive in the treatment of those patients with congestive heart failure, critical advances in design features to address known limitations and the integration of novel technologies become more imperative. To advance the current state-of-the-art in blood pump design, this study investigates the inclusion of pitch-adjusting blade features in intravascular blood pumps as a means to increase energy transfer; an approach not explored to date. A flexible impeller prototype was constructed with a configuration to allow for a variable range of twisted blade geometries of 60-250°. Hydraulic experiments using a blood analog fluid were conducted to characterize the pressure-flow performance for each of these twisted positions. The flexible, twisted impeller was able to produce 1-25 mmHg for 0.5-4 L/min at rotational speeds of 5,000-8,000 RPM. For a given twisted position, the pressure rise was found to decrease as a function of increasing flow rate, as expected. Generally, a steady increase in the pressure rise was observed as a function of higher twisted degrees for a constant rotational speed. Higher rotational speeds for a specific twisted impeller configuration resulted in a more substantial pressure generation. The findings of this study support the continued exploration of this unique design approach in the development of intravascular blood pumps.