Development of Magnetically Suspended Vaneless Centrifugal Blood Pump for Cardiopulmonary Bypass

An ideal blood pump would provide sufficient flow rate against vessel pressure without hemolysis or thrombus formation. In preceding studies, it is known that non-contact operation by magnetic bearing system gives high mechanical reliability, low hemolysis and low thrombus formation. Therefore, in the present study a magnetically suspended vaneless centrifugal blood pump (MSVC-BP) has been developed for the use of cardiopulmonary bypass, in which the magnetic suspension centers the centrifugal rotor avoiding any contact. To predict the flow pattern in the pump head and to calculate shear stress on the rotor, numerical analysis has been performed using the TASCflow ® . In vitro tests of hydrodynamic performance of the present pump have been carried out in mock circular system with glycerin solution, attaining a maximum flow rate of 12 L/min at 2200 rpm. In vivo tests of hemodynamic performance of the pump have also led to reasonable results for clinical usage.