Ventricular Assist Pump Pulsatility Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ventricular assist blood pumps lack the ability to maintain health during long-term use due to the absence of pulsatility in blood flow, which is essential for simulating natural heart function, leading to prolonged waiting periods for heart transplants and potential health deterioration in patients.
Innovation Solution
A ventricular assist blood pump with a rotational part and housing that introduces pulsatility in blood flow by varying flow rates by 40% or more between maximum and minimum flow rates, using a liquid-discharge source that mimics heart action, ensuring a flow rate of 5 L/min or more at reduced pressure, and maintaining a specific relationship between head and flow rate to replicate natural heart pulsatility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a ventricular assist blood pump uses a rotational part rotating at a fixed rotational speed, then the pump structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the blood flow lacks pulsatility which deteriorates user health during long-term use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the rotational speed of the rotational part variable rather than fixed. The control unit adjusts the rotational speed based on detected flow rate information, transforming the pump from a static operation mode to a dynamic one that can adapt to changing conditions and generate pulsatile flow patterns beneficial for user health.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action by causing the rotational part to rotate at varying speeds in a periodic manner, creating pulsatile blood flow that mimics natural heart function. The control unit generates periodic variations in rotational speed, resulting in flow rates that oscillate between maximum and minimum values, providing the physiological benefits of pulsatility while maintaining a relatively simple pump structure.
2Device complexity
If the pump operates at fixed rotational speed, then the device complexity is low, but the flow rate cannot sufficiently respond to changes in head pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by using a flow rate detector to continuously monitor the actual flow rate and feeding this information back to the control unit. The control unit then adjusts the rotational speed of the rotational part based on the detected flow rate, creating a closed-loop control system that enables the pump to respond appropriately to changes in head pressure and maintain optimal performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by transitioning from fixed rotational speed operation to variable rotational speed control. The rotational speed is dynamically adjusted based on real-time flow rate detection, allowing the pump to adapt its performance characteristics to match changing system conditions and maintain effective blood flow delivery.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the ventricular assist blood pump is used for long-term support until heart transplant, then it extends patient survival, but the patient's health deteriorates due to lack of pulsatility in blood flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by generating pulsatile blood flow through periodic variations in rotational speed. This creates a flow pattern with maximum and minimum flow rates that mimics natural heart pulsation, providing physiological benefits to the patient during long-term use and preventing health deterioration associated with non-pulsatile flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling the pump to operate in a dynamic mode with variable rotational speed rather than fixed speed. This allows the pump to generate pulsatile flow that benefits patient health while maintaining the ability to provide continuous long-term support until heart transplant becomes available.
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 effectively suppresses health deterioration in patients by replicating natural heart pulsatility, ensuring a significant change in flow rate with respect to head changes, thereby improving long-term use outcomes compared to conventional pumps.
Implementation Method 1
a rotational part having an impeller
Data Source
AI summary
A ventricular assist blood pump of the present invention includes: a rotational part having an impeller; and a housing which houses the rotational part therein. In the ventricular assist blood pump, a difference between a maximum flow rate and a minimum flow rate of a liquid in a state where the ventricular assist blood pump is connected to a liquid-discharge source which discharges the liquid while increasing and decreasing the flow rate of the liquid at a fixed cycle is 40% or more of a difference between the maximum flow rate and the minimum flow rate of the liquid in a state where the ventricular assist blood pump is not connected to the liquid-discharge source. A ventricular assist blood pump of the present invention can suppress the degree at which the health of a user deteriorates during long-term use compared to a conventional ventricular assist blood pump.