Mechanical cavopulmonary assist device cage for Fontan patients - Research Paper Example

Smaller size of the filaments limits the structural support ability of the protective cage while large sizes of the filaments decreases the hydrodynamic properties of the design while increasing the pressure. The size of the filament thickness is however subject to change based on computational test results. The number of filaments is proposed to be five, not the same as the number of impeller blades, in order to shun resonance and vibration of the system. The protective cage offers protection to the vessel from the rotating components through its radial arrangements of the filaments.

The elliptical design of the protective cage of filaments not only presents hydrodynamic characteristics but also provides space efficiency. The angle designs of the blades helps in space conservation given that a number of the blades can be fitted within the pump for maximum functionality. This helps in minimizing the size of the pump to ensure it properly fits within the blood vessel. The pump is characterised with diffuser blades, which are located on the protective filament cage. A shift in the flow directionality aids the diffuser blades to convert the rotational force produced by the impellor to potential energy.

A motor-magnetic bearing suspension is used to induce the pump rotation. The proposed design will aim to achieve this through the levitation and rotation of the impellor within the protective filament cage (Throckmorton et al., 2010). The protective cage of filaments is designed with five elliptically shaped filaments. The proposal aims at modifying the design to serve both protective and design functions at the same time. The shape of the protective cage filaments serves significant role in stabilizing the impeller blades radially and axially in addition to acting as a barrier in the protection of the vessel from the rotating impeller blades.

The unique elliptical design shape of the filaments plays a vital role in maximizing energy production from impeller while