Establishment of the geometrical optimization method to decrease hemolysis level in blood pumps by the computational fluid dynamic analysis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K12769
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90140:Medical technology assessment-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Nishida Masahiro 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 生命工学領域, 総括研究主幹 (80357714)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 医療機器 / 人工臓器 / 数値流体力学 / 流体機械

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As the method to estimate hemolysis level of blood pumps by the computational fluid dynamic analysis, the unsteady transport equation method was designed that quantify the hemolysis level on the pump outlet where the hemolysis amount was transported as passive scalar that had been generated inside the pump. The results of method were compared with that of the conventional method that quantify the total hemolysis level in the pump where the exposure time that induces the hemolysis amount in each calculation cell was approximately estimated. The coefficients of determination that indicate the correlation between the computational fluid dynamic analysis result and the experimental analysis result were larger in the unsteady transport equation method than in the conventional method. Therefore, the unsteady transport equation method is found to be more precise to estimate the hemolysis level in blood pumps.

Free Research Field

医療技術評価学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

血液ポンプは、中長期使用の補助循環ポンプや長期使用の補助人工心臓において、さらなる長期使用へのニーズが高まっている。血液ポンプの設計において最も重要な基本的な性能の一つは溶血特性であり、数値流体力学解析は血液ポンプの溶血特性を予測するための重要な開発ツールであるが、これまでの解析結果は、溶血試験結果と乖離していた。本研究の成果により、信頼性の高い血液ポンプの溶血特性の推定手法を示すことができた。血液ポンプ開発における形状最適化のプロセスにおいて貢献できることが期待される。