The continuous flow ventricular assist device (VAD) is a miniature centrifugal pump, fully suspended by magnetic bearings, which is being developed for implantation in humans. The CF4 model is the first actual prototype of the final design product. The overall performances of blood flow in CF4 have been simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software: CFX, which is commercially available from ANSYS Inc. The flow regions modeled in CF4 include the inlet elbow, the five-blade impeller, the clearance gap below the impeller, and the exit volute. According to different needs from patients, a wide range of flow rates and revolutions per minute (RPM) have been studied. The flow rate-pressure curves are given. The streamlines in the flow field are drawn to detect stagnation points and vortices that could lead to thrombosis. The stress is calculated in the fluid field to estimate potential hemolysis. The stress is elevated to the decreased size of the blood flow paths through the smaller pump, but is still within the safe range. The thermal study on the pump, the blood and the surrounding tissue shows the temperature rise due to magnetoelectric heat sources and thermal dissipation is insignificant. CFD simulation proved valuable to demonstrate and to improve the performance of fluid flow in the design of a small size pump.
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April 2004
Technical Papers
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Study of the 4th Generation Prototype of a Continuous Flow Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)
Xinwei Song,
Xinwei Song
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia USA
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Houston G. Wood,
Houston G. Wood
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia USA
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Don Olsen
Don Olsen
Utah Artificial Heart Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah USA
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Xinwei Song
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia USA
Houston G. Wood
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia USA
Don Olsen
Utah Artificial Heart Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Contributed by the Bioengineering Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the Bioengineering Division November 25, 2002; revision received June 24, 2003. Associate Editor: J. Moore.
J Biomech Eng. Apr 2004, 126(2): 180-187 (8 pages)
Published Online: May 4, 2004
Article history
Received:
November 25, 2002
Revised:
June 24, 2003
Online:
May 4, 2004
Citation
Song , X., Wood, H. G., and Olsen, D. (May 4, 2004). "Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Study of the 4th Generation Prototype of a Continuous Flow Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) ." ASME. J Biomech Eng. April 2004; 126(2): 180–187. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1688776
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