Performance of enlarged blood pump models with five different impellers

in earlier studies, a 5:1 enlarged pump model of the Kyoto-NTN Magnetically Suspended Centrifugal Blood Pump had been constructed and the flow charact eristics investigated. Although the results obtained were satisfactory, the medium used was air. A 5:1 enlarged pump model using water as the medium t hus was designed and constructed. Five different impeller blade profile des igns were used in the present study. By varying (1) the blade profile desig n: forward, radial, and backward, (2) the number of blades used, and (3) th e rotating speed, the flow characteristics of the pump were investigated. I t was found that the impeller with the higher number of blades, used in the forward and straight blade profiles, have the best performance.