Abstract

BUSTAMANTE O, John et al. Development of a prototype of pulsatile flow pump for characterizing the hydrodinamic conditions in an extracorporeal circulation setting. Rev. Col. Cardiol. [online]. 2007, vol.14, n.1, pp.25-32. ISSN 0120-5633.

With conventional pumps, it is difficult to generate the cardiovascular system conditions that may emulate hemodynamic conditions for evaluating different devices interposed to the blood flow. In order to resolve this inconvenient, an automated pulsatile flow system formed by a diffuse controller that captures data from the monitoring instruments of hydrodynamic variables through an acquisition interface and applies control signals to a pulsatile flow pump, was developed. This system allows making hydromechanical tests that give elements for interpreting the influence of the variables that take part in the pulsatile flow and emulate hemodynamic conditions in an extracorporeal setting. Through computed assisted design techniques, a pneumatically operated diaphragmatic pump was constructed. The controller was developed by the Fuzzi Control® technique, which regulates pulse and flow according to the data captured by the acquisition interface. The prototype tests were realized in a fluids laboratory by varying frequency, hydraulic resistance, viscosity and pulse pressure, emulating hemodynamic adult conditions, and using as work fluid an aqueous solution with 5 cPo at 37°C for mimicking blood viscosity at corporal temperature. The reproduction of a pump that serves for analyzing the effect of variables in the pulsatile flow may be used in the study of different intravascular devices and help to refine technical and functional aspects in the preliminary study of extracorporeal circulation machines.

Keywords : biomechanical pump; pulsatile flow; extracorporeal circulation; biomedical instrumentation.