Magnetically Coupled Blood Pump With Low-Heat Compact Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blood pumps, particularly intravascular and transvalvular pumps, have large diameters due to high energy consumption and heat generation, making them unsuitable for long-term, battery-powered applications and percutaneous insertion.
Innovation Solution
A blood pump design with a magnetic coupling between the drive unit and impeller, utilizing a plurality of posts with discontinuous soft magnetic material and coil windings to create a rotating magnetic field, reducing the number of moving parts and minimizing eddy currents and heat generation, allowing for a compact size and efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If large magnets or high current are used in the drive unit to provide sufficiently strong magnetic coupling, then the magnetic force is improved, but the outer diameter of the blood pump increases and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the magnetic coupling parameters by using permanent magnets in the impeller instead of electromagnets, and by optimizing the magnet arrangement and magnetic circuit design. This allows achieving the required magnetic force with a compact outer diameter without requiring large magnets or high currents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite magnetic circuit structures combining permanent magnets, magnetic materials, and non-magnetic materials to optimize the magnetic field distribution. This composite approach enables strong magnetic coupling while maintaining a compact pump diameter.
2Force
If large magnets or high current are used in the drive unit to provide sufficiently strong magnetic coupling, then the magnetic force is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional electromagnet-based drive system with a permanent magnet-based magnetic coupling system. This substitution eliminates the need for continuous high current supply, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining the required magnetic force for impeller rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing from electromagnets to permanent magnets, the system transforms the energy input mode from continuous electrical power to a self-sustaining magnetic field, thereby reducing operational energy consumption while maintaining adequate magnetic coupling force.
3Power
If traditional electric motor design is used, then sufficient driving power is achieved, but the number of rotating parts increases and heat generation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional electric motor with a magnetic coupling drive system where the impeller is magnetically coupled to the drive unit. This eliminates mechanical connections, reduces the number of rotating parts, and minimizes heat generation while maintaining sufficient driving power for blood pump operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the traditional motor components (stator, rotor, bearings, commutators) by using a magnetic coupling system. Only the essential rotating elements (impeller with permanent magnets) remain, significantly reducing device complexity and heat generation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves a compact outer diameter suitable for intravascular use, reduces energy consumption, and enables long-term battery-powered operation without purge, supporting high-speed rotation up to 50,000 rpm.
Implementation Method 1
a coil winding is disposed about the shaft portion of each of the posts, with the coil windings being sequentially controllable so as to create the rotating magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
The impeller comprises at least one magnet, which is arranged to magnetically couple the impeller to the drive unit, i.e. to interact with the rotating magnetic field so as to cause rotation of the impeller
Implementation Method 3
utilizing a plurality of posts with discontinuous soft magnetic material and coil windings to create a rotating magnetic field, reducing the number of moving parts and minimizing eddy currents and heat generation
Data Source
AI summary
An intravascular blood pump (1) comprises a pump casing (2) having a blood flow inlet (21) and a blood flow outlet (22), and an impeller (3) arranged in said pump casing (2) so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the impeller (3) has blades (31) sized and shaped for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet (21) to the blood flow outlet (22). The blood pump (1) further comprises a drive unit (104) for rotating the impeller (3), the drive unit (104) comprising a plurality of posts (140) arranged about the axis of rotation (10). Coil windings (47) around the posts are sequentially controllable so as to create a rotating magnetic field. The shaft portion (141) of each of the posts (140) comprises a soft magnetic material which is discontinuous in cross-section transverse to the longitudinal axis of the respective post (140).