Computational fluid dynamics and digital particle image velocimetry study of the flow through an optimized micro-axial blood pump.

A detailed knowledge of the flow field in a blood pump is indispensable in order to increase the efficiency of the pump and to reduce the shear-induced hemolysis. Thus, three different impeller designs were developed and tested by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV). The results show a good agreement of CFD and DPIV data. An optimization of the impeller could be achieved by following the concept of turbulent drag reduction for the axisymmetric center body.