An implantable centrifugal blood pump for long term circulatory support

A compact centrifugal blood pump was developed as an implantable left ventricular assist system. The impeller diameter is 40 mm and the pump dimensions are 55 x 64 mm. This first prototype was fabricated from titanium alloy, resulting in a pump weight of 400 g including a brushless DC motor. Weight of the second prototype pump was reduced to 280 g. The entire blood contacting surface is coated with diamond like carbon to improve blood compatibility. Flow rates of over 7 L/min against 100 mmHg pressure at 2,500 rpm with 9 W total power consumption have been measured. A newly designed mechanical seal with a recirculating purge system ("Cool-Seal") is used as a shaft seal. In this seal system, seal temperature is kept under 40 degrees C to prevent heat denaturation of blood proteins. Purge fluid also cools the pump motor coil and journal bearing. The purge fluid is continuously purified and sterilized by an ultrafiltration filter incorporated into the paracorporeal drive console. In vitro experiments with bovine blood demonstrated an acceptably low hemolysis rate (normalized index of hemolysis = 0.005 +/- 0.002 g/100 L). In vivo experiments are currently ongoing using calves. Via left thoracotomy, left ventricular apex-descending aorta bypass was performed utilizing a PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) vascular graft, with the pump placed in the left thoracic cavity. In two in vivo experiments, pump flow rate was maintained at 5-8 L/min, and pump power consumption remained stable at 9-10 W. All plasma free hemoglobin levels were measured at < 15 mg/dl. The seal system has demonstrated good seal capability with negligible purge fluid consumption (< 0.5 ml/ day). Both animals remain under observation after 162 and 91 days of continuous pump function.     

In vitro and in vivo assessment of an intravenous axial flow pump for right heart assist

Right ventricular (RV) function is a limiting factor in maintaining systemic circulation with circulatory assist. There is, however, no easy way to institute RV assist, such as the intraarterial axial flow pump (Hemopump) used for left heart assist. In this study, the feasibility and hemodynamic effect of intravenous use of an axial flow pump was examined. A pump system was developed with an outflow cannula and an impeller that were newly designed for intravenous insertion with a Hemopump driving system. The pump system characteristics using goat blood at a hematocrit of 26% indicated that maximum flow at a pressure differential against 40 mmHg is 3.2 l/min at a pump speed of 28,000 rpm. The pump was tested in adult goats by intravenous insertion through a 14 mm, low porosity graft anastomosed to the infrarenal inferior vena cava. The pump was advanced until the tip of the cannula was positioned at the main pulmonary artery, using balloon catheter guidance under fluoroscopy. RV assistance was evaluated by pressure tracing, and aortic flow (AF) measured by electromagnetic flowmeter under 1) induced pulmonary stenosis (PS), and 2) electrically induced ventricular fibrillation (VF) in combination with left heart assist. Under PS, right atrial pressure decreased from 11 to 2 mmHg and AF increased from 1.0 to 4.1 l/min after initiation of the pump. Under VF, AF and aortic pressure were 2.6 l/min and 78 mmHg, respectively, with left ventricular assist. After initiation of the pump, they increased to 4.0 l/min and 98 mmHg, respectively. In chronic experiments using three adults goats for up to 48 hr, levels of plasma hemoglobin and platelet counts were maintained within an acceptable range. There was no prominent damage to the hearts. These data suggest that an axial flow pump introduced by an intravenous approach without thoracotomy is feasible and provides sufficient right heart assist.     

Blood flow analysis for the secondary impeller of an IVAS heart pump

The rotodynamic heart pump (IVAS), designed by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, includes a secondary flow path along the journal bearing, through a secondary impeller, and over the rotor outer surface. The flow behaviors of the blood through the journal bearing and the secondary impeller are investigated by a computational fluid dynamics method that solves the 3-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations using a new solution algorithm. Results of the analyses include: 1) the blood flow patterns within the journal bearing, 2) the effect of the non-uniform bearing clearance on the flow patterns of the impeller cavity, 3) the flow patterns around a secondary impeller blade that include effects of tip clearance and the gap between the blade and the inner or outer side wall, 4) effects of the blade angles on the secondary impeller performance, and 5) the shear stress distribution.     

水泵三元流叶轮节能技术的研究与应用

闸述了水泵三元流叶轮节能技术的研究与应用情况。三元流叶轮应用于水泵实际工况与设计工况不吻合情况下的节能改造,具有投资少、见效快,实施方便,节能显著等特点。     

Mathematical Modeling of Fluid Flow in a Water Physical Model of an Aluminum Degassing Ladle Equipped with an Impeller-Injector

In this work, a 3D numerical simulation using a Euler–Euler-based model implemented into a commercial CFD code was used to simulate fluid flow and turbulence structure in a water physical model of an aluminum ladle equipped with an impeller for degassing treatment. The effect of critical process parameters such as rotor speed, gas flow rate, and the point of gas injection (conventional injection through the shaft vs a novel injection through the bottom of the ladle) on the fluid flow and vortex formation was analyzed with this model. The commercial CFD code PHOENICS 3.4 was used to solve all conservation equations governing the process for this two-phase fluid flow system. The mathematical model was reasonably well validated against experimentally measured liquid velocity and vortex sizes in a water physical model built specifically for this investigation. From the results, it was concluded that the angular speed of the impeller is the most important parameter in promoting better stirred baths and creating smaller and better distributed bubbles in the liquid. The pumping effect of the impeller is increased as the impeller rotation speed increases. Gas flow rate is detrimental to bath stirring and diminishes the pumping effect of the impeller. Finally, although the injection point was the least significant variable, it was found that the “novel” injection improves stirring in the ladle.     

Bed Shear Stress Boundary Condition for Storage Tank Sedimentation

Computational fluid dynamics-based (CFD) software tools enable engineers to simulate flow patterns and sediment transport in ancillary structures of sewer systems. Lagrangian particle tracking represents a computationally efficient technique for modeling sediment transport. In order to represent the process of sedimentation in storage tanks, careful consideration must be given to the boundary condition at the bottom of the tanks. None of the boundary conditions currently available in the FLUENT CFD software appears to represent the observed behavior of sediment particles, which may become resuspended after first contact with the bed if the local flow velocity is sufficiently high. In this study, a boundary condition based on bed shear stress has been implemented in FLUENT and evaluated against laboratory data. A particle is trapped if the local bed shear stress is below the critical bed shear stress; otherwise, the particle is resuspended. The approach gives satisfactory agreement with measured sedimentation efficiency data, and the simulated spatial distribution is very similar to the sediment distribution observed in a laboratory tank.     

Sublingual midazolam premedication in children: a dose response study

Regarding the development of a centrifugal blood pump to be connected directly with small diameter tubings for pediatric use while minimizing hemolysis, we have studied the inlet port side configurations of a pump using both a hemolysis test and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. We have conducted a hemolysis test on 2 models. The tapered shape inlet has proven to be lower in the index of hemolysis (IH) than the straight shape. CFD analyses utilizing expanded flow paths indicated that the flow velocity decreased as the fluid path became larger within the tapered nozzle. When entering the pump chamber, the flow rushed in at a greater velocity through the straight nozzle due to its small diameter. The straight shape showed an abrupt change in pressure around the entrance of the pump chamber while the tapered shape did not. The flow inlet angle of the straight model was observed to be larger than that of the tapered model because of its smaller turning radius.     

刚柔组合桨搅拌强化锰矿浸出数值模拟

通过CFD软件对以SO₂气体为还原剂的锰矿浸出过程进行数值模拟,对比刚性单桨、刚性双桨及刚柔组合桨对于气-固-液三相混合强化作用。通过对固相及气相浓度云图分析,比较三种不同结构配置的搅拌反应器对固体颗粒悬浮和气体分散的作用大小,并对搅拌反应器内宏观、介观及其微观混合性能通过轴向和纵向的速度、湍动能及湍动能耗散率进行对比分析。结果表明：刚柔组合桨流场内并未出现颗粒团聚、气体分散不均等现象,并在流场上部对于颗粒悬浮及气体分散作用明显要强于单轴单桨及单轴双桨;刚柔组合桨的宏观、介观及其微观混合性能的表现均优于单轴单桨及单轴双桨。     

Surgery in patients treated with anticoagulation during emergency and elective interventions

A permanent impeller heart that could work for years was once an idea. However, now this idea is turning into reality through the use of the magnetically suspended motor. Recently, with our implantable pulsatile impeller pump, 3 left ventricular assisted calves survived for about 2 months (62, 54, and 46 days, respectively). The termination of the experiments was related to wear of the mechanical bearing, which resulted in vibration of the rotor and pump failure. All the experimental animals were in good condition prior to pump failure. It seemed as if the experiments could have lasted indefinitely if the bearing had not failed. All the hematological and biochemical data of the calves remained in normal or acceptable ranges; neither blood damage nor organ dysfunction of any animal was detected. During autopsy, no severe thrombus formation was found in the pump or vessels although a low dose of heparin (0.5-0.8 g/h) was given to increase the activated coagulation time (ACT) to 1.5-2.0 times its normal value. To solve the problem of bearing wear, a magnetically suspended motor was investigated and applied to the impeller pump. On the opposite sides of a disc connected to the rotor, 2 permanent magnet rings were embedded, one for driving and the other for axial suspension. Because both the driving and suspending coils with iron cores attract the disc, no radial bearing was needed. This newly devised impeller heart promises to have long-term and permanent applications.     

三层桨搅拌槽内三维流场的数值模拟

采用计算流体动力学(CFD)的方法,对稀土萃取过程中上两层为平直叶、底层为涡轮桨叶的三层组合桨搅拌槽内三维流场进行了研究。利用标准的k-epsilon双方程模型对无机相(水)和有机相(P507)的混合液在搅拌槽中产生的流场进行数值计算,得到这种搅拌桨以恒定转速300r/min在搅拌槽内转动时产生的速度场和压力场,以及速度分布云图、速度矢量图以及压力云图,为搅拌桨的设计与改进提供理论基础。     

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of the Hydrogen Reduction of Magnetite Concentrate in a Laboratory Flash Reactor

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to study the hydrogen reduction of magnetite concentrate particles in a...     

基于强度理论的岩石损伤弹塑性模型

根据单轴受力特性曲线唯象地考察岩石材料损伤演化,定义弹性应变表示的一维损伤变量及其本构模型,利用双剪强度理论将其推广至三维模型.塑性是潜在破坏面的摩擦滑移,在传统塑性理论的框架中,建立了基于摩尔-库仑强度理论与潜在滑移面摩擦软-硬化特性的各向异性损伤弹塑性本构关系.结果表明,计算的损伤演化与CT观测结果符合很好,用本文的弹塑性模型反映损伤材料的力学特性是可行的.     

A one-phase model of the mixing of Al-SiC composite melt

Good mixing of silicon carbide (SiC) particles with liquid aluminum is an important component of the fabrication process of Al-SiC composites and the casting of mechanical parts from composite melts. A one-phase flow model has been built in which the mixture is considered as one fluid, and the SiC flow is differentiated from the main mixture flow by a slip velocity, calculated from the balance of forces exerted on the particles. The impeller blades’ action on the fluid is seen as a quadratic source of momentum. Sedimentation is simulated by imposing an increased viscosity on the fluid and setting gravity to zero once the SiC volume fraction reaches a critical value. The model is first applied to a water-SiC system for which some experimental data exist permitting a validation of the model. It is then applied to a Al-SiC system for which some parameter studies are carried out. Compared to the two-phase flow model published earlier, this one-phase model offers two advantages: it takes much less computing time and can accommodate a distribution of particle sizes instead of being limited to one size.     

加热炉内流场的模拟与分析

运用流体动力学计算软件(CFD)fluent,对湘潭钢铁公司第二高速线材厂轧钢加热炉的三维流场进行了数值模拟,获得该轧钢加热炉内的气体流动、流速和压力的分布规律。对加热炉内的气体流动状况、速度分布和压力分布的特点分析表明,该加热炉的局部结构不适应加热炉的操作要求。模拟计算结果与加热质量和加热炉的实际运行相符,为加热炉的进一步结构改造提供了依据。     

Continued development of the Nimbus/University of Pittsburgh (UOP) axial flow left ventricular assist system

Nimbus and the University of Pittsburgh (UOP) have continued the development of a totally implanted axial flow blood pump under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Innovative Ventricular Assist System (IVAS) program. This 62 cc device has an overall length of 84 mm and an outer diameter of 34.5 mm. The inner diameter of the blood pump is 12 mm. It is being designed to be a totally implanted permanent device. A key achievement during the past year was the completion of the Model 2 pump design. Ten of these pumps have been fabricated and are being used to conduct in vitro and in vivo experiments to evaluate the performance of different materials and hydraulic components. Efforts for optimizing the closed loop speed control have continued using mathematical modeling, computer simulations, and in vitro and in vivo testing. New hydraulic blade designs have been tested using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and flow visualization. A second generation motor was designed with improved efficiency. To support the new motor, a new motor controller fabricated as a surface mount PC board has been completed. The program is now operating under a formal QA system.     

A mechanical heart valve prosthesis with a spherical shape and open center

A mechanical valve prosthesis is described with central blood flow. The generations I and II of the mechanical valve obstruct the blood flow and cause turbulence with undesirable consequences. The opening in the centre of Simkovic-Bolf valve preserves the laminar blood flow, reduces the trauma of blood and myocardium stress. Our new valve represents a mechanical valve prosthesis of generation III. (Fig. 5, Ref. 16.).     

Numerical Simulations of Efficiency of Curb-Opening Inlets

The geometry of highway pavement and drainage inlets, especially cross slope, longitudinal slope, and local depression and transition length, usually determine the highway surface drainage capacity. In this study, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, FLOW-3D, is used to develop models simulating unsteady, free-surface, shallow flow through curb-opening inlets, thereby demonstrating that an advanced CFD model can be used as a virtual laboratory to evaluate performance (i.e., inlet efficiency) of curb-opening inlets with different geometry conditions. Predicted intercepted flow and inlet efficiency agree well with laboratory measurements. Flow simulations were extended to smaller cross slopes for which laboratory tests were not conducted but which can occur in a highway transition.     

Prediction of Flow in Centrifugal Blower Using Quasi-Steady Rotor–Stator Models

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based computational tool, named STREAM, is used to analyze fluid flow in a centrifugal blower. The unsteady interaction of the flow in the rotating impeller (rotor) and the stationary volute (stator) is modeled via quasi-steady rotor–stator models. Two such models are developed: one based on a local exchange of information and the other based on a circumferential averaging procedure at the rotor–stator interface. Due care is exercised to ensure that inadequate grid resolution and numerical dissipation do not smear out the small pressure rise typical of the blower considered here. Computed results based on the proposed models with multiblock structured grids are presented; global quantities such as static pressure rise, horsepower, and static efficiency, available from test data for different mass flow rates, are used to evaluate the trends predicted by the CFD results. Overall, the predictions by the proposed models are satisfactory.     

步进梁式板坯加热炉内流场和温度场的数值模拟

运用流体力学计算软件（CFD）对某广步进梁式加热炉进行三维燃烧流场的数值模拟,获得该加热炉的速度、温度和浓度的分布规律。其结果为合理地组织燃烧,进一步提高钢坯加热质量,再优化炉型结构提供了参考依据。