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Can we develop a nonpulsatile permanent rotary blood pump? Yes, we can
Y Nosé1, K Kawahito, T Nakazawa
1Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Artificial Organs
|June 1, 1996
Summary
Nonpulsatile blood pumps, when used at higher flow rates, do not cause physiological abnormalities and show comparable clinical outcomes to pulsatile pumps. These rotary pumps offer simpler, more durable designs for medical applications.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Engineering
- Biomedical Devices
- Hemodynamics
Background:
- Historically, nonpulsatile perfusion was believed to cause physiological and circulatory abnormalities.
- Research since 1977 has challenged this misconception regarding blood flow mechanics.
Observation:
- Experimental findings demonstrate no significant difference in clinical outcomes between pulsatile and nonpulsatile blood pumps.
- Nonpulsatile rotary blood pumps exhibit efficient and reliable performance across various clinical scenarios.
Findings:
- Nonpulsatile pumps offer a simpler, more reliable design, eliminating the need for thrombogenic heart valves and complex compliance devices.
- Continuous flow simplifies control systems and reduces myocardial damage during implantation due to smaller inflow conduits.
- Rotary designs with a single moving part enhance durability and efficiency, avoiding the on-and-off motion of pulsatile pumps.
Implications:
- Nonpulsatile blood pumps are suitable for development as permanently implantable assist devices.
- Future development requires optimizing for small size, atraumaticity, antithrombogenicity, anti-infection properties, durability, and energy efficiency with controllability.