AORTIC OUTLET EXTENSION IN THE 12CC PENN STATE PEDIATRIC VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE
Open Access
- Author:
- Fickes, Michael Glenn
- Area of Honors:
- Bioengineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Keefe B Manning, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Keefe B Manning, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. William O Hancock, Thesis Honors Advisor
Steven Deutsch, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- outlet valve extension
blockage
PVAD - Abstract:
- Approximately 36,000 children are born each year with a heart defect, the most common birth defect in the U.S. Due to the low availability of donor hearts, pediatric ventricular assist devices (PVADs) are a possible solution to sustain the life of pediatric patients until a donor heart can be transplanted. Penn State is currently developing a 12cc PVAD, which is a scaled down model of the successful 70cc Pierce-Donachy VAD. This reduction in volume, necessary to accommodate pediatric patients, leads to changes in the functional fluid mechanics. One of these changes is a blockage region upstream of the aortic outlet valve, a characteristic that increases the probability of blood damage and can lead to emboli and other adverse effects. In an attempt to eliminate this region, the outlet port is extended 2 inches away from the model through the use of an acrylic extension. The PVAD is connected to a mock circulatory loop that models the systemic circulation under normal physiological conditions, with a 40% hematocrit blood analog as the fluid. Two dimensional particle image velocimetry is used to acquire flow data throughout the entire cardiac cycle. Results show that the flow patterns in the body of the device remain similar to those previous experiments, except for within the outlet port. With the extension, the velocity profile at the outlet port is more uniform, which in turn, reduces the potential for blood damage.