Intracardiac Blood Pump Flexible Screen Flow Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Intracardiac blood pumps face limitations in achieving high output due to energy losses and turbulence when blood passes through discharge ports, which restricts the pump's efficiency and potential for increased delivery rate.
Innovation Solution
A flexible screen is positioned at the upstream end of the discharge ports to guide the flow smoothly into an oblique guide portion, reducing turbulence and impact losses, while also allowing the pump to be withdrawn through a tubular introducer sheath by folding against the pump portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pump rotation speed is increased to increase output, then the delivery rate increases, but the risk of damage to the blood increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump wheel blades are designed with curved surfaces and smooth transitions instead of sharp edges. The blades extend gradually from the hub to the periphery with optimized curvature radii, creating smooth flow paths that reduce turbulence and prevent blood cell damage while maintaining high rotation speeds for increased delivery rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade geometry parameters are optimized by varying the curvature radii, blade angles, and blade lengths at different radial positions. This parametric optimization allows the pump to achieve high rotation speeds with reduced turbulence and blood damage, effectively decoupling the relationship between speed increase and blood damage risk.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid screen is used to cover discharge ports, then tissue protection is improved, but the pump cannot be withdrawn through a tubular introducer sheath
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is designed as a flexible, dynamically deformable structure rather than a rigid component. During normal operation, the screen maintains its expanded position to protect tissue. During withdrawal, the screen can be compressed and folded along with the pump, allowing passage through the introducer sheath without requiring disassembly or special maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen is constructed as a thin, flexible membrane that can bend and fold. This flexible structure provides continuous tissue protection during operation while being capable of significant deformation during insertion and withdrawal procedures, solving the contradiction between protection and operability.
3Length of moving object
If the screen forms an elongate tube covering substantial part of pump portion, then effective structural length is shortened, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The screen serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a protective barrier for discharge ports, provides flow guidance to reduce turbulence, and functions as a structural element that defines the effective length of the pump. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while achieving length shortening.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen is integrated with the pump housing and drive portion as a unified structure rather than a separate attachment. This merging of components eliminates the need for additional fastening mechanisms or separate protective housings, reducing device complexity while maintaining the length-reducing effect.
4Power
If blades extend to below discharge ports to increase hydraulic power, then pump efficiency increases, but risk of tissue damage by blades increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blades extending below discharge ports are designed with smooth curved surfaces and optimized radius of curvature. This curvature ensures that any tissue accidentally contacting the blades experiences gentle guidance rather than sharp impact, allowing the blades to extend to optimal positions for hydraulic power while minimizing tissue damage risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible screen acts as an intermediary protective layer between the extended blades and body tissue. The screen prevents direct contact between tissue and blade surfaces, allowing the blades to extend to positions that maximize hydraulic power without proportionally increasing tissue damage risk.
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 enhances the delivery rate by 10 to 20% and reduces the risk of tissue damage, improving the pump's structural length and safety by minimizing kinetic energy loss and preventing tissue entry into the blades.
Implementation Method 1
the screen projects from the pump portion at the upstream end of the discharge ports, such that the flow leaving the discharge ports is passed smoothly to an oblique guide portion of the screen
Implementation Method 2
impact losses and turbulences occur when the blood passes through the discharge ports... these losses are avoided by the flow-guiding effect of the screen
Implementation Method 3
the screen is flexible. This means that the screen may deformed to be folded and laid on the outer wall of the pump
Implementation Method 4
The parts of the blades located below the discharge ports deliver radially immediately against the oblique screen
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an intracardiac blood pump with a flexible screen between which discharge ports are located. The pump parts are connected to the flexible screen which catches the axially discharged flow and deflects the same in an axial direction. The delivery rate of the pump is increased by preventing impact losses and swirls at the discharge ports.