Assessment of blood hemolysis during optimization of the RotaFlow centrifugal pump impeller

This study focuses on the evaluation of a modernized impeller for the RotaFlow centrifugal pump (Maquet, Germany), carried out as part of efforts to design a domestic counterpart. The proposed impeller features a combination of primary elongated blades, responsible for generating the majority of pressure, and secondary shortened blades. The investigation examined pump performance under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy conditions at a pressure of 350 mmHg and flow rate of 5 L/min. Computational analyses were conducted to evaluate fluid flow parameters associated with hemolysis risk. The optimized impeller demonstrated a significant increase in low tangential stress zones (<10 Pa), reduced exposure time, and a lower hemolysis index. Comparative mathematical modeling and bench testing with donor blood confirmed the improved hemodynamic performance of the redesigned impeller over the original configuration.