Disposable MagLev centrifugal blood pump utilizing cone-shaped impeller

A magnetically levitated bio-pump (MagLev BP) has been developed. A cone-shaped impeller is suspended by a two-degree-of-freedom controlled radial magnetic bearing. Non-contact support of the impeller, using the magnetic bearing, realized higher durability compared with the Bio-pump BPX-80, which is the most widely used disposable centrifugal blood pump. The MagLev BP could yield a flow rate of 5 L/min against a head pressure of more than 300 mmHg (40.0 kPa), which is sufficient for extracorporeal circulation support. Despite the contactless support in the MagLev BP, the normalized index of hemolysis (NIH) of the MagLev BP was 10 % less than the equivalent value of the BPX-80, at 5 L/min against 250 mmHg (33.3 kPa). Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and a blood damage model were utilized, not only to clarify the cause of hemolysis, but also to suggest modifications to the structure of the MagLev BP.