STRAIN GAUGE FOR FLOW ESTIMATION

摘要

A pressure differential across a blood pump and/or a flow rate of blood pumped by the blood pump is estimated based at least in part on impeller thrust load. A blood pump for a circulation assist system includes a housing forming a blood flow channel, an impeller, one or more support members coupled to the housing, a sensor, and a controller operatively coupled with the sensor. At least one of the one or more support members react a thrust load applied to the impeller by blood impelled through the blood flow channel by the impeller. The sensor generates output indicative of the magnitude of the thrust load. The controller is configured to process the sensor output to estimate at least one of a pressure differential across the blood pump and a flow rate of blood pumped by the blood pump.

主权项

1. A blood pump for a circulation assist system, the blood pump comprising:
a housing forming a blood flow channel; an impeller disposed within the blood flow channel; one or more support members coupled to the housing, the one or more support members reacting a thrust load applied to the impeller by blood impelled through the blood flow channel by the impeller; a sensor generating a sensor output indicative of a magnitude of the thrust load reacted by at least one of the one or more support members; and a controller operatively coupled with the sensor, the controller being configured to process the sensor output to estimate at least one of:
a pressure differential of the blood impelled through the blood flow channel, anda flow rate of blood pumped by the blood pump.