Weitblick in den Bergen: Exploring New Horizons

Back

10.12.2024

How To - Blood pump development part 5 - Blood tests ๐Ÿ’‰

Due to their contact with the human organism and direct intervention in the circulatory system, blood pumps have special requirements in terms of bio ๐Ÿงซ and haemocompatibility ๐Ÿฉธ, in particular the prevention of blood damage โ›“๏ธ๐Ÿ’ฅ. Blood damage, i.e. damage to the cellular blood components, can occur primarily due to mechanical stresses, e.g. at the bearing points of a pump, but also due to the shear stresses caused by fluid ๐Ÿงช and wall friction within the pump.

Blood is pumped in a circuit ๐Ÿ”„ for 6 hours ย and the damage is measured using free haemoglobin, which is released when the red blood cells are destroyed. This allows an initial statement to be made about the suitability of a pump for use in humans. A final assessment also includes long-term tests and biocompatibility tests ๐Ÿงซ. By taking samples at several points in time โฑ๏ธ during the test, the progression of blood damage can be quantified ๐Ÿ“ˆ. The image shows the progression of free haemoglobin for an initial pump variant with high blood damage, a better pump variant with moderate/low blood damage and, as a reference, a blood bag without the influence of a pump.

โ€

Read moreโ€ฆ