Optimization of a centrifugal blood pump designed using an industrial method through experimental and numerical study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Improved coronary artery disease treatment increases survival, leading to a rise in heart failure cases.
• Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are crucial for managing advanced heart failure.
• There is a need for optimized VAD designs to improve patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a novel centrifugal pump for use as a ventricular assist device.
• To investigate the impact of geometrical parameters and blade profiles on pump performance.
• To compare the designed pump's efficacy against a benchmark device.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the point-to-point design method for blade profiling, exploring logarithmic and second-order relationships.
• Simulated 58 different blade configurations using ANSYS CFX 17.0.
• Validated numerical simulations with a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) benchmark pump and conducted experimental comparisons using a hydraulic test rig.

Main Results:

• Identified an optimal blade design with an input angle of 45° and an output angle of 55°, utilizing a logarithmic relationship.
• The selected impeller configuration demonstrated a significant increase in total head (at least 20%) across various flow rates compared to the FDA benchmark pump.
• Experimental results confirmed the superior hydraulic performance of the designed VAD.

Conclusions:

• The designed centrifugal pump, particularly the impeller with specific blade angles and a logarithmic profile, offers enhanced performance for ventricular assist applications.
• This optimized VAD design holds potential for improving the quality of life for patients with heart failure.
• The study validates a robust design and testing methodology for next-generation VADs.