Design and prototyping of a magnetically and hydrodynamically suspended blood pump via multiobjective optimization

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of global mortality.
• Blood pumps, or Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs), are critical in cardiac care.
• Optimizing VAD design is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance hydraulic efficiency and reduce hemolysis risk in a VAD.
• To develop advanced computational models for VAD design optimization.
• To integrate a novel magnetically levitated motor for improved VAD performance.

Main Methods:

• Designed a bespoke motorpump system with optimized impeller geometry across 15 parameters.
• Performed 290 simulations using Design of Experiments (DOE).
• Developed Response Surface Models (RSMs) using Kriging and Genetic Aggregation.
• Employed a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) for simultaneous optimization.
• Integrated a magnetically levitated motor, eliminating mechanical bearings.

Main Results:

• Achieved an 11% increase in outlet pressure and a 23% reduction in mean scalar shear stress.
• Genetic Aggregation outperformed Kriging in the final optimization phase.
• The magnetically levitated motor design reduced frictional losses and enhanced device lifespan.

Conclusions:

• Concurrent management of multiple geometric factors significantly improves VAD performance.
• The optimized design offers enhanced hydraulic efficiency and reduced hemolysis risk.
• The magnetically levitated motor design presents a promising, durable solution for VADs in medical and pharmaceutical applications.