Fiber-Reinforced Expandable Pump Rotor for Stable Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid pumps, particularly catheter pumps for medical applications, face challenges in maintaining a stable geometric form during compression and expansion while minimizing efficiency loss and preventing damage to conveyed substances, especially under high rotational speeds.
Innovation Solution
A rotor for fluid pumps is designed with strand-like reinforcement elements, such as fibers, arranged to run in a stretched manner in the operating state to stabilize the form, using a plastic matrix with specific orientation and anchoring to minimize deformation and enhance stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the rotor is compressed radially for transport through catheters, then the pump can be transported to the site of application, but the rotor undergoes deformation between compressed and expanded states
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor utilizes an elastomeric matrix that provides flexibility for radial compression during transport while maintaining structural integrity. The elastomer allows the rotor to be compressed radially for catheter delivery and then expand to its operational geometry at the implantation site.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor employs a composite structure combining elastomeric material with embedded fiber reinforcement. The elastomer provides compressibility and flexibility, while the fibers maintain geometric stability and minimize deformation during the transition between compressed and expanded states.
2Volume of moving object
If the rotor is made small for catheter delivery, then it can be introduced through blood vessels, but maintaining geometric stability under high rotational speeds becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor uses a composite of elastomer and fiber reinforcement to achieve both small size for catheter delivery and geometric stability for high-speed operation. The fibers provide structural rigidity while the elastomer maintains flexibility, enabling the rotor to withstand centrifugal forces at high rotational speeds despite its compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor incorporates discrete fiber elements distributed throughout the elastomeric matrix. These segmented reinforcement elements are strategically oriented to provide localized structural support where needed, maintaining overall geometric stability while allowing the compact rotor design.
3Shape
If fiber reinforcement is added to stabilize rotor form, then geometric stability improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process utilizes changes in material parameters during injection molding, specifically controlling the flow and orientation of fibers within the elastomeric matrix. By adjusting injection parameters and mold design, the fibers are automatically oriented to provide optimal geometric stability without requiring complex post-manufacturing assembly steps.
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 rotor maintains a defined geometric design across states, ensuring efficient fluid conveyance with minimal form change, reducing the risk of damage and enhancing durability under load.
Implementation Method 1
the rotor consists at least in part of a plastic reinforced by strand-like reinforcement elements, in particular fibers... the rotor is tensioned in the first, compressed state and is free from external stresses in the second, expanded state... the fibers in the rotor in the third state run in a stretched manner, at least sectionally
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a rotor for a compressible fluid pump, in particular a blood pump that can be introduced through a blood vessel into a patient's body, wherein said rotor comprises one or more conveying elements (15), is compressible and expandable between a first compressed state and a second radially expanded state, is made at least partially from a plastic reinforced with reinforcing elements, in particular fibers (10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 55, 56, 62, 63) and is provided for rotation about an axis of rotation (14). According to the invention, the rotor is tensioned in the first, compressed state and free from external stresses in the second, expanded state. A third state exists, which the rotor (42) occupies in the operating state under load. The reinforcing elements, in particular fibers, extend in the rotor in the third state at least in sections in a stretched manner.