Pump-valving Assembly Tapered Tracts Pressure Loss

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pulsatile fluid pumps, particularly those designed for blood pumping, face challenges in maintaining smooth fluid flow and minimizing pressure loss across ball check valves, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage to the vasculature due to excessive force.

Innovation Solution

A pump-valving assembly with spherically shaped ball check-valve assemblies and tapered tracts that expand or decrease in cross-sectional area to manage fluid flow, incorporating transition regions for smooth flow establishment and exit, and a diaphragm configuration that mimics the human heart's preload and afterload sensitivity to prevent overpressure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If ball check valves are used in pulsatile fluid pumps, then fluid flow direction control is achieved, but pressure loss and flow turbulence increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid flow direction controlVSAvoidpressure loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs spherically shaped ball check valves instead of traditional spherical or cylindrical valves. The spherical geometry of the ball combined with the tapered tract design creates smooth flow transitions that reduce turbulence and pressure loss while maintaining effective flow direction control during pulsatile operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the geometric parameters of the valve tract, specifically implementing a tapered configuration where the cross-sectional area changes gradually along the flow path. This parameter change optimizes flow characteristics by reducing abrupt transitions, thereby minimizing pressure loss and turbulence while preserving valve functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If ball check valves are used in pulsatile fluid pumps, then fluid flow direction control is achieved, but flow turbulence increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid flow direction controlVSAvoidflow smoothness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The spherical ball check valve design with tapered tracts creates smooth curved flow paths that eliminate abrupt direction changes. This curvature-based design reduces flow separation and turbulence, maintaining stable and smooth fluid flow while effectively controlling flow direction during the pulsatile cycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The tapered tract configuration gradually changes the flow cross-sectional area, creating a smooth transition that prevents flow instability. This gradual parameter change ensures continuous, turbulence-free flow while maintaining reliable directional control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If conventional valve configurations are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but pressure loss and flow disruption occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve structureVSAvoidpressure loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The spherical ball valve with tapered integration provides a compact, simple structural form that eliminates complex valve mechanisms. The curved spherical geometry naturally guides flow with minimal disruption, achieving both structural simplicity and reduced pressure loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent integrates the ball check valve directly into the tapered tract configuration, merging the valve body and tract into a unified structure. This integration eliminates additional components and connections, maintaining structural simplicity while reducing pressure loss through smooth, continuous flow paths

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 solution ensures efficient, pulsatile fluid flow with minimal pressure loss and turbulence, mimicking the human heart's operation to safely deliver blood, reducing the risk of vascular damage and maintaining fluid continuity.

Implementation Method 1

tapered tracts coupled to the outlet ball check-valve assembly and disposed between the pumping chamber and outlet port respectively. The third tapered tract expands in cross sectional area from the chamber to the outlet ball check valve assembly

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS11547846B2Pump-valving assembly for a pulsatile fluid pump

Publication Date: 2023.01.10 VENTRIFLO INC

AI summary

A pump-valving assembly for a pulsatile fluid pump includes a pumping chamber, an inlet port, and an outlet port. The pump-valving assembly further includes an inlet ball check-valve assembly, first and second tapered tracts disposed between the inlet port and the pumping chamber, an outlet ball check-valve assembly, and third and fourth tapered tracts disposed between the pumping chamber and outlet port. The first tapered tract expands in cross sectional area from the inlet port to the inlet ball check valve assembly, and the second tapered tract decreases in cross sectional area from the inlet ball check valve assembly to the chamber. The third tapered tract expands in cross sectional area from the chamber to the outlet ball check valve assembly and the fourth tapered tract decreases in cross sectional area from the outlet ball check valve assembly to the outlet port.