Percutaneous Double Lumen Cannula for Right Ventricle Assist Device System: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Devices
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Percutaneous right ventricular assist devices (pRVAD) require surgical implantation and removal.
• A double lumen cannula (DLC) offers a less invasive alternative for pRVAD installation and explantation.
• Minimally invasive cardiac support devices are crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel double lumen cannula (DLC) for a percutaneous right ventricular assist device (pRVAD).
• To assess the performance, flow patterns, blood hemolysis, and thrombosis potential of the pRVAD DLC.
• To determine the feasibility of reducing open-chest surgeries for RVAD procedures.

Main Methods:

• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using finite volume and shear-stress transport k-ω models.
• Laminar flow model for Reynolds numbers <4000 and turbulent model for Reynolds numbers >4000.
• Bench testing of a 27 Fr prototype to validate CFD results.

Main Results:

• CFD pressure drop results showed less than 1.3% difference compared to experimental data.
• Lagrangian analysis indicated low hemolysis rates (0.012% drainage, 0.0073% infusion) at 5 L/min.
• CFD identified blood stagnancy and recirculation zones, suggesting potential thrombosis risk.

Conclusions:

• The pRVAD DLC demonstrates capability for high flow rates (up to 5 L/min) with acceptable hemolysis.
• Design modifications are necessary to mitigate identified blood stagnancy and recirculation.
• Further development is required to optimize the pRVAD DLC for safe and effective clinical use.