Corrugated diaphragm shape design study for hemocompatible pulsatile ventricular assist devices.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Devices
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Pulsatile ventricular assist devices (VADs) are crucial for treating heart failure.
• Maximizing pumping volume is essential for VAD efficacy.
• Endothelial cell layers on VAD diaphragms have a limited strain tolerance (up to 15%).

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the pumping volume of pulsatile VADs.
• To investigate diaphragm corrugation as a method to increase pumping efficiency.
• To operate within the strain tolerance limits of endothelial cell layers.

Main Methods:

• Developing a parametrization scheme for diaphragm corrugation shapes.
• Implementing modeling and evaluation schemes for corrugated diaphragms.
• Conducting a parameter study to assess the effectiveness of different corrugation designs.

Main Results:

• Corrugated diaphragm designs were found to be effective in increasing VAD pumping volumes.
• The study identified specific corrugation shapes that optimize performance.
• The approach successfully addressed the strain constraint imposed by the endothelial cell layer.

Conclusions:

• Diaphragm corrugation is a viable strategy for improving pulsatile VAD performance.
• This method allows for increased pumping volume without exceeding cellular strain limits.
• The findings provide a basis for designing next-generation VADs with enhanced functionality.