Implanted system of mechanical support of the disk-based heart pump viscous friction

Abstract

An implanted disk pump for supporting blood circulation is developed and fabricated. This pump is designed for implantation to patients as a bypass for the left ventricle of the heart in order to provide temporal (up to several months) assistance for heart operation while the patient is waiting for a donor heart. The proposed pump differs from implanted pumps already available at the marker by the principle of its operation based on the phenomenon of boundary layer formation on rotating disks. The flow rates and pressure characteristics of the developed disk pump are comparable to those of other known pumps, but its rotor rotates with a lower velocity; for this reason, the probability of thrombosis is lower. The disk pump satisfies all medical and biological requirements to implanted pumps for blood circulation support.