Implantable Membrane Blood Pump for Low-Shear Partial Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing partial-support assist devices for heart failure, such as the CircuLite Synergy Micro-pump, suffer from issues like thrombosis due to high shear stress, leakage at the cannula insertion site, and an unaesthetic protrusion from the chest, while other devices face similar problems with increased thrombosis risk and noise.
Innovation Solution
An implantable pump system with a rectangular membrane that uses an electromagnetic assembly to induce wave-like deformations, reducing shear forces and minimizing blood damage, while being compact and energy-efficient.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a rotary pump with impeller is used to achieve blood flow, then flow rate is improved, but shear stress increases causing thrombosis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rotary impeller mechanism with an electromagnetic assembly that generates magnetic fields to directly move the membrane and pump blood. This substitution eliminates mechanical contact and rotating parts that generate shear stress, while maintaining effective blood flow through magnetic field-driven membrane deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible membrane as the pumping element instead of a rigid impeller. The membrane's flexibility allows it to deform under magnetic field influence, creating blood flow through peristaltic-like motion that minimizes shear stress on blood cells while maintaining productivity.
2Productivity
If a larger pump device is implanted to provide circulatory support, then flow support is improved, but device visibility and aesthetic appearance worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the pump by using electromagnetic actuation instead of mechanical rotation, allowing for more efficient blood pumping. This efficiency gain enables the use of a smaller device volume while maintaining the required circulatory support, thus reducing chest protrusion and improving aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing the traditional mechanical pump mechanism with an electromagnetic system, the patent achieves higher pumping efficiency in a compact form factor. The electromagnetic assembly with membrane configuration allows effective blood flow generation without requiring large mechanical components, reducing device visibility.
3Productivity
If a mechanical pump with moving parts is used, then flow generation is improved, but device complexity and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical components with an electromagnetic assembly that uses magnetic fields to actuate the membrane. This substitution eliminates gears, bearings, and other mechanical parts, reducing device complexity and noise while maintaining effective blood flow generation through electromagnetic-driven membrane deformation.
4Productivity
If high power is used to drive the pump, then flow rate is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane requires minimal energy to deform compared to moving rigid mechanical components. The electromagnetic assembly efficiently transfers energy to the membrane, which then pumps blood through its deformation cycles. This approach achieves high flow rates with lower energy consumption by utilizing the membrane's inherent flexibility and elastic properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The electromagnetic system provides more efficient energy transfer to the pumping mechanism compared to mechanical drives. By eliminating mechanical friction and inefficiencies, the patent achieves better energy utilization, maintaining high flow rates while reducing overall energy consumption from the implanted power source.
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 system achieves desirable flow rates with minimal blood damage, avoiding thrombosis and protrusion issues, providing effective partial circulatory support for heart failure patients.
Implementation Method 1
an electromagnetic assembly disposed within the housing. The electromagnetic assembly may generate, when electrically activated, a magnetic field applied to the one or more magnets to induce wave-like deformation of the rectangular membrane, thereby pumping blood from the inlet, along the rectangular membrane, and out the outlet
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable pump system is provided, including an implantable blood pump suitable for use as a partial support assist device, the system further including an extracorporeal battery and a controller coupled to the implantable pump, and a programmer selectively periodically coupled to the controller to configure and adjust operating parameters of the implantable pump. The implantable pump includes a flexible membrane coupled to an electromagnetic actuator including a magnetic assembly and electromagnetic assembly, so that when the electromagnetic assembly is energized, the electromagnetic assembly causes wavelike undulations to propagate along the flexible membrane to propel blood through the implantable pump. The controller may be programmed by a programmer to operate at frequencies and duty cycles that mimic physiologic flow rates and pulsatility while operating in an efficient manner that avoids thrombus formation, hemolysis and/or platelet activation.