Description:
Overview of Technology
A technology that uses simple bearings to passively flush blood away from the bearing to enhance cardiovascular turbomachinery
Background on Technology
Cardiovascular turbomachinery is used in a variety of medical therapies such as ventricular assist and cardiopulmonary bypass amongst others. In each application, turbomachines may be used to pump blood for the therapeutic process.
Many cardiovascular assist technologies rely on devices that transport blood via turbomachinery components. This application is concerned with mitigating blood clotting (thrombus formation) in blood transporting turbomachines that have rotating components supported by simple bearings.
In blood transporting turbomachines, these types of simple bearings tend to generate heat via viscous dissipation as well as are often situated within blood flow patterns that are relatively stagnant compared to other blood flow regions of the device. These two complicating circumstances often result in the activation of flowing platelets, the deposition of activated platelets on or near the simple bearing surfaces, and the initiation and growth of thrombus formations that result in a wide variety of clinical complications as well as mechanical device complications.
Description of Technology
The present invention relates generally to cardiovascular turbomachinery used to pump blood. It relates to passively flushed bearing situated within a recessed cavity for supporting long-term high speed rotor rotation via enhancement of blood flow past simple bearings and convective removal of heat build-up. The novelty of the recessed cavity is that blood is drawn into the cavity via centrifugal suction developed by a plurality of outflow conduits that rotate with rotor component of the pump. The invention can be applied to blood pumps of arbitrary configuration whether centrifugal, axial or mixed flow in nature.
This invention describes novel shape changes in the region of simple bearings that will passively flush blood away from the bearing and thereby enhancing convective flow immediately adjacent to the bearing, decreasing thermal heating, and ultimately mitigating thrombus formations and their complications in the region of the simple bearings.
Simple bearings would involve a rotating shaft, where examples include pivot, pin, journal, and ball and cup bearings.
Benefits of Technology
Current clinical uses of cardiovascular turbomachines are limited to short time periods due to shortcomings of these devices.
Applications of Technology
This invention can potentially mitigate a longstanding issue in the cardiovascular blood pump field, specifically, the removal of stagnant fluid adjacent to a lower pivot/pin/ball and cup bearing that is area prone to thrombus generation. It is an expensive simple fix for an expensive problem.
Commercial companies who sell commercial pumps would immediately benefit from the solution provided by this invention.
Cardiovascular companies have moved away from simple inexpensive designs in part because of the thrombus generation issue associated with simple bearing configurations. The invention may breathe new life into developing next-generation of inexpensive simple pump designs.