Axial type self-bearing motor for axial flow blood pump.

An axial self-bearing motor is proposed which can drive an axial blood pump without physical contact. It is a functional combination of the bi-directional disc motor and the axial active magnetic bearing, where it actively controls single degree-of-freedom motion, while other motions such as lateral vibration are passively stable. For application to a blood pump, the proposed self-bearing motor has the advantages of simple structure and small size. Through the finite element method (FEM) analysis and the experimental test, its good feasibility is verified. Finally, the axial flow pump is fabricated using the developed magnetically suspended motor. The pump test is carried out and the results are discussed in detail.

Magnetically suspended centrifugal blood pump with an axially levitated motor.

The longevity of a rotary blood pump is mainly determined by the durability of its wearing mechanical parts such as bearings and seals. Magnetic suspension techniques can be used to eliminate these mechanical parts altogether. This article describes a magnetically suspended centrifugal blood pump using an axially levitated motor. The motor comprises an upper stator, a bottom stator, and a levitated rotor-impeller between the stators. The upper stator has permanent magnets to generate an attractive axial bias force on the rotor and electric magnets to control the inclination of the rotor. The bottom stator has electric magnets to generate attractive forces and rotating torque to control the axial displacement and rotation of the rotor. The radial displacement of the rotor is restricted by passive stability. A shrouded impeller is integrated within the rotor. The performance of the magnetic suspension and pump were evaluated in a closed mock loop circuit filled with water. The maximum amplitude of the rotor displacement in the axial direction was only 0.06 mm. The maximum possible rotational speed during levitation was 1,600 rpm. The maximum pressure head and flow rate were 120 mm Hg and 7 L/min, respectively. The pump shows promise as a ventricular assist device.

Magnetically suspended centrifugal blood pump with a self bearing motor.

A magnetically suspended centrifugal blood pump with a self bearing motor has been developed for long-term ventricular assistance. A rotor of the self bearing motor is actively suspended and rotated by an electromagnetic field without mechanical bearings. Radial position of the rotor is controlled actively, and axial position of the rotor is passively stable within the thin rotor structure. An open impeller and a semiopened impeller were examined to determine the best impeller structure. The outer diameter and height of the impeller are 63 and 34 mm, respectively. Both the impellers indicated similar pump performance. Single volute and double volute structures were also tested to confirm the performance of the double volute. Power consumption for levitation and radial displacement of the impeller with a rotational speed of 1,500 rpm were 0.7 W and 0.04 mm in the double volute, while those in the single volute were 1.3 W and 0.07 mm, respectively. The stator of the self bearing motor was redesigned to avoid magnetic saturation and improve motor performance. Maximum flow rate and pressure head were 9 L/min and 250 mm Hg, respectively. The developed magnetically suspended centrifugal blood pump is a candidate for an implantable left ventricular assist device.