Magnetically Levitated Axial Flow Blood Pump for Pediatric Total Artificial Heart

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

10:30 AM-12:30 PM

BIOMED Master's Thesis Defense

Title:
Magnetically Levitated Axial Flow Blood Pump for Pediatric Total Artificial Heart

Speaker:
Brandon Tsang, Master's Candidate
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
Drexel University
 
Advisor:
Amy Throckmorton, PhD
Professor
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
Drexel University

Details:
Thousands of pediatric patients in the United States are diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to acquired or congenital heart disease. Symptoms of CHF include left-side heart dysfunction, fluid retention and swelling in lower extremities, and shortness of breath. A substantial number of these pediatric patients also develop right-sided heart failure secondary to left-sided failure or dysfunction. Strategies to address CHF include pharmacological treatments, which only slow the progression of heart disease, or heart transplantation. With a lack of donor organs available, mechanical circulatory assist devices provide support until a donor organ becomes available, and there continues to be a severe shortage of pediatric blood pumps to support these patients. The BioCirc Research laboratory at Drexel University is developing a new medical device technology as a novel treatment for those pediatric patients with heart failure. In this thesis project, an axial flow blood pump was designed, developed, and tested against design requirements to provide circulatory assistance to these vulnerable children and older pediatric patients. Acting to improve blood flow to the lungs, this axial-flow right ventricular assist device (RVAD) is designed to achieve cardiovascular requirements by generating desired blood flow rates and increased pressures.

Building on significant prior developmental work on this axial pump, we leveraged data from an existing, validated, axial flow blood pump that was designed for the adult population and assessed the similarity of performance for a geometrically smaller version of the pump using standard regression and nondimensional analysis. Numerical simulations were performed using ANSYS computer software to estimate the hydraulic performance of 5 design iterations, and a physical prototype of the superior design was built and tested in a hydraulic flow loop using a blood analog solution. Results demonstrated a strong pump performance for right ventricular assistance for pediatric patients; pressure-flow generation met expectations, and fluid forces on the levitated impeller rotor were within target magnitudes. Fluid stress levels exceeded our threshold levels, and we recognize the need for further design improvement to mitigate the risk of hemolysis and thrombosis. Overall, this work constitutes a strong next step in the continued development of this axial flow blood pump for pediatric patients with heart failure.

Contact Information

Natalia Broz
njb33@drexel.edu