Assessment of hemolysis related quantities in a microaxial blood pump by computational fluid dynamics

A computational assessment or even quantification of shear induced hemolysi s in the predesign phase of artificial organs (e.g., cardiac assist devices ) would largely decrease efforts and costs of design and development. In th is article, a general approach of hemolysis analysis by means of computatio nal fluid dynamics (CFD) is discussed. A validated computational model of a microaxial blood pump is used for detailed analysis of shear stress distri bution. Several methods are presented that allow for a qualitative assessme nt of shear stress distribution and related exposure times using a Lagrangi an approach and mass distribution in combination with shear stress analysis . The results show that CFD offers a convenient tool for the general assess ment of shear-induced hemolysis. The determination of critical regions and an estimation of the amount of blood subject to potential damage in relatio n to the total mass flow are shown to be feasible. However, awareness of li mitations and potential flaws in CFD based hemolysis assessments is crucial .