Percutaneous Blood Pump With Expandable Impeller for Low Obstruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing treatments for congestive heart failure, such as diuretics, rely on patient compliance and cause side effects, while catheter-based blood pumps have limitations in effectiveness and systemic administration.
Innovation Solution
A percutaneously applied heart function support system with a fluid pump and expandable housing, featuring a motor and impeller that can rotate in response to blood flow, reducing obstruction and enhancing cardiac output and diuresis through a pump-generator unit with a battery and coil assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a catheter-based blood pump is used to assist heart circulation, then cardiac output is improved, but the device obstructs blood flow when not powered
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller is designed to dynamically change its configuration between powered and unpowered states. When powered, the impeller rotates to pump blood; when unpowered, the impeller assumes a configuration that minimizes obstruction to blood flow, effectively transitioning between functional states to resolve the contradiction between pumping capability and flow obstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: the impeller for blood pumping, the expandable housing for configuration change, and the motor for power delivery. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the impeller for pumping efficiency and the housing for minimal obstruction - thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and harmful factors.
2Quantity of substance
If diuretics are used to treat fluid overload, then fluid load is reduced, but side effects occur and patient compliance is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical mechanism of diuretics with a mechanical blood pump system. Instead of using pharmaceutical agents to chemically eliminate fluid, the device mechanically pumps blood to enhance cardiac output and promote natural diuresis, thereby eliminating the side effects and compliance issues associated with systemic diuretic administration.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump system operates autonomously to support heart function without requiring patient compliance for medication administration. The device self-regulates by sensing blood flow conditions and adjusting impeller rotation accordingly, providing consistent support without the variability inherent in patient-compliance-dependent treatments.
3Productivity
If an impeller is designed to pump blood effectively, then cardiac output increases, but blood cell interactions increase causing hemolysis
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller blades are designed with specific local qualities - smooth surfaces, optimized angles, and appropriate spacing - to minimize turbulence and shear forces on blood cells. The expandable housing also provides localized flow guidance to reduce chaotic flow patterns that could cause hemolysis, while maintaining effective pumping capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The impeller configuration parameters (blade angle, spacing, surface smoothness) are optimized to balance pumping efficiency with blood cell protection. By carefully controlling these parameters, the system achieves effective cardiac output enhancement while minimizing mechanical trauma to blood cells that would cause hemolysis.
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 provides effective chronic support by increasing cardiac output and diuresis with minimal obstruction, reducing blood cell interactions, and harvesting energy from natural blood flow.
Implementation Method 1
The motor can comprise windings to generate magnetic fields when energized. The rotor can be rotated in response to the magnetic fields.
Implementation Method 2
When the windings of the motor are not generating magnetic fields, the expandable propeller can be configured to freely rotate in response to blood flow in the blood vessel.
Implementation Method 3
The at least one wire coil assembly can be configured to convey current in response to a magnetic field and/or to generate a magnetic field in response to current conveyed therein.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for increasing cardiac output of a heart patient and/or diuresis is disclosed. The system can include a fluid pump with an expandable housing and an impeller. The impeller can be non-obstructive to at least some blood flowing between impeller blades of the impeller. The impeller can be housed in an expandable housing that is open to incoming flow which also reduces obstruction to blood flow. The fluid pump can be placed within and powered to rotate an impeller of the fluid pump in a first direction. The fluid pump can be switched to an unpowered state. In the unpowered state the impeller can be rotated by blood flowing through the fluid pump to reduce the obstructive effect of the impeller and/or to engage a power generating and/or physiologic conditions sensing mode.