Intravascular Blood Pump Motor Core for High Flux, Low Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intravascular blood pumps face challenges in achieving a compact design with high pumping power due to limitations in magnetic flux and energy efficiency, particularly in reducing eddy currents and heat generation, which is crucial for long-term, battery-powered applications.
Innovation Solution
The blood pump employs a monoblock magnetic core with discontinuous soft magnetic material, where the posts and back plate are made of a single block of material with slots to minimize magnetic resistance and reduce eddy currents, using slotted or laminated structures to maintain magnetic flux while minimizing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If large magnets or high current are supplied to the drive unit, then sufficiently strong magnetic coupling is achieved, but the overall diameter of the blood pump becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic core is segmented into multiple posts arranged around the axis of rotation, with each post having a coil winding. This segmentation allows the magnetic field to be generated in a distributed manner, improving magnetic coupling efficiency without requiring a single large magnet, thus maintaining a compact pump diameter.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the magnetic core material parameters by using material of at least a portion of at least one of the posts that is integral with the material of an intermediate area of the magnetic core's back plate. This integral material configuration minimizes magnetic resistance at transitions, enhancing magnetic flux and coupling force without increasing the pump's overall dimensions.
2Force
If continuous soft magnetic material is used in the magnetic core, then magnetic flux is maintained, but eddy currents and heat generation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous soft magnetic material is segmented into laminated structures or slots within the magnetic core posts. This segmentation interrupts eddy current paths while maintaining magnetic flux continuity through the laminated design, thereby reducing heat generation from eddy currents while preserving the necessary magnetic coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
Insulating material is introduced as an intermediary between laminated layers of soft magnetic material. This intermediary layer blocks eddy current paths while allowing magnetic flux to pass through, effectively reducing heat generation without compromising magnetic coupling strength.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate posts and back plate are assembled, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but magnetic resistance at transitions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the posts and back plate into a single integral magnetic core structure made of material of at least a portion of at least one of the posts that is integral with the material of an intermediate area of the magnetic core's back plate. This merging eliminates transition interfaces between separate components, minimizing magnetic resistance and improving magnetic flux continuity while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through integral forming processes.
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
This design enhances magnetic flux, reduces heat generation, and minimizes energy consumption, enabling the blood pump to operate efficiently at high speeds and in compact sizes suitable for intravascular applications, even when battery-powered for extended periods.
Implementation Method 1
A control unit sequentially supplies a voltage to the coil windings to create the rotating magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
Due to attracting forces between the magnets in the impeller and in the motor, rotation of the motor is transmitted to the impeller
Implementation Method 3
The impeller comprises a magnetic structure in the form of a magnet which is arranged to interact with the rotating magnetic field such that the impeller follows its rotation
Data Source
AI summary
This invention concerns an intravascular blood pump for percutaneous insertion into a patient's blood vessel. The blood pump comprises a pump casing having a blood flow inlet and a blood flow outlet, an impeller arranged in said pump casing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The impeller has blades sized and shaped for conveying blood from the blood flow inlet to the blood flow outlet. The blood pump comprises a drive unit for rotating the impeller, the drive unit comprising a magnetic core including a plurality of posts arranged about the axis of rotation and a back plate connecting the posts and extending between the posts in an intermediate area. A coil winding is disposed around each of the posts. The coil windings are controllable so as to create a rotating magnetic field, wherein the impeller comprises a magnetic structure arranged to interact with the rotating magnetic field so as to cause rotation of the impeller. A material of at least a portion of at least one of the posts is integral with a material of the intermediate area of the back plate. Further, the invention concerns a method of manufacturing a magnetic core and a method of manufacturing an intravascular blood pump.