A New Control Method That Estimates the Backflow in a Centrifugal Pump

The rotary blood pump will be widely used in the near future as an implantable left ventricular assist device (LVAD). However, one obstacle for the centrifugal pump is a control method that can maintain an optimum flow rate in a physiological condition. Thus, the object of this study is to develop this optimum control system for the centrifugal pump. If the heart function and pump efficiency are stable, the ratio of the systole current to the the diastole current (S/D) will be a fixed value. However, if the heart function and pump efficiency are unstable, S/D will not be a fixed value. This control system was investigated with a calf that was subjected to an ex vivo LVAD study. The LVAD was a Gyro C1E3 centrifugal pump. The pump flow rate was changed to 1.5, 3.5, 5.2, and 6.2 L/min. According to the changes of the pump flow rates, the S/D values were 1.01 +/- 0.01, 1.06 +/- 0.05, 1.03 +/- 0.01, and 1.03 +/- 0.01, respectively. There was no statistical difference among the 3 groups. In a separate experiment, the backflow condition S/D was 1.88 +/- 0.6, and the normal condition S/D was 1.35 +/- 0.5. There was a statistical difference between the 2 groups. The results of this study suggest that S/D is not influenced by the pump flow rate. However, the S/D was changed when the pump was in a backflow condition. This method will be useful in controlling a centrifugal pump requiring only electrical current information.