Bearing gap adjustment for improvement of levitation performance in a hydrodynamically levitated centrifugal blood pump

The purpose of the present study is to investigate a bearing gap adjustment for improvement of levitation performance in a hydrodynamically levitated centrifugal blood pump to realize a blood pump with a low hemolysis level. The impeller levitates axially by balancing a gravitational force, buoyancy, a magnetic force, and hydrodynamic forces on the top and bottom sides of the impeller. To adjust the levitation position of the impeller, the balance of acting forces on the impeller was adjusted by changing the shroud area on the bottom impeller. Three pumps having various shroud area were prepared as tested models: 817 mm
²
(HH-S), 875 mm
²
(HH-M) and 931 mm
²
(HH-L). First, for evaluating the bearing gap adjustment, the bearing gap was estimated by calculating a balancing position of the acting forces on the impeller. We actually measured the gravitational force, buoyancy and the magnetic force, and numerically analyzed hydrodynamic forces on the top and bottom sides of the impeller. Second, to verify accuracy of the estimated bearing gap, the measurement test of the bearing gap was performed. Finally, an in-vitro hemolysis test was performed to evaluate a hemolysis level of the pump. As a result, bottom bearing gaps were estimated as 40 μm (HH-S), 60 μm (HH-M) and 238 μm (HH-L). In the measurement test, bottom bearing gaps were measured as 63 μm (HH-S), 219 μm (HH-M), and 231 μm (HH-L). The estimated bearing gaps had positively correlated with the measured bearing gaps in relation to the shroud area on the impeller. In the hemolysis test, hemolysis level in every model was almost equivalent to that of BPX-80, when the bearing gap was adjusted greater than 60 μm. We could adjust the bearing gap by changing the shroud area on the impeller for improvement of levitation performance to realize a blood pump with a low hemolysis level.