Effect of blade trailing edge treatment on the hemolysis and hydraulic performance of left ventricular assist device.

Abstract

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) provide an effective artificial support treatment for patients with advanced-stage heart failure. To enhance the LVAD performance and optimize its internal flow field, different blade trailing edge treatment techniques are employed. This study mainly investigates the effects of two methods: bladelet and blade trimming. The effectiveness of these two techniques in LVADs has not been thoroughly evaluated in previous research. The flow field distribution and hydraulic performance of different impellers are obtained by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The results reveal that bladelets can significantly weaken the hydraulic performance of LVADs. However, the appropriate bladelet parameters can reduce the hemolysis value and improve hemocompatibility. Similarly, suitable blade trimming parameters can optimize the hemocompatibility of LVADs. Nevertheless, excessive blade trimming can increase hemolysis. Lastly, blade trimming has minimal impact on the hydraulic performance of LVADs.