Compressible Pump Rotor Blades With Embedded Strut Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotors for pumps, particularly those used in medical applications like heart-assisting blood pumps, face challenges in being radially compressed with minimal force and easily expanded for operation while maintaining stability and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A radially compressible and expandable rotor design featuring elastically deformable impeller blades with embedded stiffening struts that allow independent deformation and stabilization, minimizing interference with fluid flow and optimizing thickness distribution for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rotor vanes are made elastic to enable radial compression for transport, then the pump can be conveyed into the body in a compressed state, but the material must be carefully selected to balance ease of compression with sufficient force to exert on the liquid during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor is divided into a hub and multiple radially extendable vanes that can be folded onto the hub during compression. This segmentation allows the vanes to be independently deformed and positioned, enabling easy radial compression while maintaining structural integrity for force transmission during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor design employs dynamic transformation between compressed and expanded states. The vanes are designed to be flexible during compression but rigid during operation, achieving adaptability between different operational requirements through material elasticity and geometric configuration.
2Ease of operation
If the rotor vanes are made highly elastic for easy compression, then the pump can be easily transported, but the rotor may lack sufficient stability and force for effective liquid conveyance during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The vanes are pre-configured with specific geometric shapes and material properties that enable them to automatically assume their operational position when expanded. This preliminary design ensures that upon expansion, the vanes achieve the correct orientation and rigidity for effective liquid conveyance without requiring additional actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor design utilizes changes in physical parameters - specifically the transition from a compressed state with reduced radial dimensions to an expanded state with full radial extension. This parameter change enables the rotor to achieve both ease of transport and operational stability through controlled dimensional transformation.
3Force
If the rotor is designed for minimal compression force, then it can be easily conveyed through blood vessels, but it may not generate sufficient thrust for effective pumping operation
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor employs composite construction with a central hub and radially extending vanes made from materials optimized for both flexibility during compression and rigidity during operation. This composite structure enables the rotor to withstand high operational forces while requiring minimal compression force for delivery through blood vessels.
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 enables easy compression for transport and efficient expansion for operation with enhanced stability, minimizing material interference and production sensitivity, while maintaining optimal flow characteristics and mechanical integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the impeller blade has an impeller blade body whose material is elastically deformable
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a radially compressible and expandable rotor for a pump having at least one impeller blade, wherein the impeller blade has an impeller blade body whose material is elastically deformable as well as at least one stiffening strut which is at least partially embedded in the material of the impeller blade body. The struts are designed suitably in size, shape and arrangement and are integrated in suitable hollow spaces of the impeller blade body for stabilizing the impeller blade. Elements with tensile strength can additionally be provided.