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A Flow Visualization Study of the NCVC Centrifugal Blood Pump
Author(s) -
Araki Kenji,
Taenaka Yoshiyuki,
Masuzawa Toru,
Tatsumi Eisuke,
Wakisaka Yoshinari,
Watari Masanobu,
Nakatani Takeshi,
Akagi Haruhiko,
Baba Yuzo,
Anai Hirofumi,
Park Young Hwan,
Eya Kazuhiro,
Toda Koichi,
Takano Hisateru
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1594.1994.tb03397.x
Subject(s) - volute , impeller , flow visualization , centrifugal pump , mechanics , turbulence , vortex , flow (mathematics) , rotor (electric) , materials science , streak , mechanical engineering , engineering , physics , optics
A compact centrifugal pump, NCVC–1, has an open–type impeller with 6 curved vanes, and it is characterized by no shaft and no seal. A tunnel is placed in the center of the impeller–rotor assembly to irrigate the back space behind the rotor. To evaluate the flow, we performed 3 visualization methods: tracer, oil film, and injection streak line method. The flow, observed by the tracer method in NCVC–1, indicated little turbulence along vanes. A volute chamber proved effective to reduce vortex formation in the outlet. Oil film pattern revealed no flow separation on vanes at 5 L/min. Washout flow behind the rotor is essential to prevent thrombus formation and was shown as inward spiral flow without any stagnation. These data suggested that a combination of visualization techniques was useful to analyze various flow conditions, and the NCVC–1 has excellent flow characteristics with little turbulence and little flow stagnation, which must be beneficial to low hemolysis and high antithrombogenicity.