Blood Pump Impeller Housing Bonding for Reduced Hemolysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing a housing for an impeller of a blood pump do not effectively address the challenge of ensuring a smooth inner surface to reduce hemolysis and prevent structural damage from the impeller and axial shaft.
Innovation Solution
A method involving treating a frame to enhance bonding with an inner lining, coupling the inner lining to the frame, placing a mandrel inside the inner lining, and heating the assembly while applying pressure to couple a pump-outlet tube to the frame, ensuring a secure and smooth assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an inner lining is coupled to the frame to provide a smooth inner surface, then hemolysis is reduced and blood flow is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases due to additional bonding steps
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is treated with a surface treatment (e.g., plasma treatment or coating) before coupling the inner lining, to enhance bonding. This preliminary action ensures strong adhesion between the frame and inner lining, reducing the risk of delamination while maintaining a smooth inner surface to minimize hemolysis.
Solution Approach 2:
A bonding agent or adhesive layer is introduced as an intermediary between the frame and the inner lining to ensure strong coupling. This mediator enhances the bonding strength while allowing the inner lining to maintain its smooth surface properties for blood compatibility.
2Strength
If the frame and pump-outlet tube are heated and pressed together to ensure secure coupling, then bonding strength is improved, but the risk of thermal damage to blood-related components increases
Solution Approach 1:
Heating is applied locally and selectively to specific regions of the frame and pump-outlet tube assembly, rather than uniformly heating the entire device. This ensures adequate bonding strength at the coupling interfaces while avoiding thermal exposure of heat-sensitive components such as the inner lining and blood channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating process is segmented into controlled stages or zones, with temperature and duration optimized for each specific bonding location. This allows precise control over thermal exposure, ensuring strong bonds where needed while protecting sensitive components from thermal damage.
3Ease of operation
If the strut junctions are kept open during assembly to facilitate impeller insertion, then ease of assembly is improved, but structural stability deteriorates until the securing element is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The strut junctions are designed to be dynamically changeable between open and closed states. During assembly, they remain open to facilitate impeller insertion, and then transition to a closed, secured state using securing elements (e.g., screws, clips, or interference fits) to achieve the required structural stability for operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The open configuration of strut junctions is maintained temporarily during the assembly process as a preliminary state, allowing easy access for impeller insertion. Once assembly is complete, the junctions are promptly secured to transition to the stable closed state, minimizing the period of reduced structural stability.
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 method provides a secure and smooth inner surface for the blood pump housing, reducing hemolysis and preventing structural damage, while ensuring effective blood flow and device functionality.
Implementation Method 1
heating the inner lining, the frame and the portion of the elongate tube, via the mandrel
Implementation Method 2
applying pressure from outside the portion of the elongate tube, such as to cause the portion of the elongate tube to become coupled to the frame
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A method, comprising: manufacturing a housing for an impeller (50) of a blood pump by: treating a frame (34) in order to enhance bonding between an inner surface of the frame (34) and an inner lining (39); subsequently, coupling the inner lining (39) to the inner surface of the frame (34) along at least a portion of a central cylindrical portion of the frame (34), the central cylindrical portion of the frame (34) including struts that define a generally cylindrical shape; subsequent to coupling the inner lining (39) to the inner surface of the frame (34) along at least a portion of the central cylindrical portion of the frame (34): placing a mandrel inside the inner lining (39); placing a portion of an elongate tube (24) around at least a portion of the frame (34), the elongate tube including a proximal portion that defines at least one blood outlet opening (109); while the portion of the elongate tube (24) is disposed around at least the portion of the frame (34), heating the inner lining (39), the frame (34) and the portion of the elongate tube (24), via the mandrel; and while heating the inner lining (39), the frame (34), and the portion of the elongate tube (24), applying pressure from outside the portion of the elongate tube (24), such as to cause the portion of the elongate tube (24) to become coupled to the frame (34).