Prospects of disk pump for mechanical circulatory support in cardiac surgery (review)

Abstract

The need of circulatory support systems in the treatment of chronic heart failure is increasing constantly, as 20% of the patients on the waiting list die every year. Despite the great need for mechanical heart support systems, the use of available systems is limited by its expensiveness. In addition, there is no one system that is 100% responsible to all medical and technical requirements and that would be completely safe for patient. Therefore, further research in the fi eld of circulatory support systems considering health and technical requirements is relevant. One of the new directions in the study are disc pumps of viscous friction for liquid transporting, based on the Tesla pump principle. The operation principle of such pumps is based on the phenomenon of the boundary layer which is formed on the disk rotating in a fl uid. There are experimental studies of models with different variants of the rotor suspension, various forms and numbers of the disks, forms of the pump housing. However, none of the above samples was brought to clinical trials. Furthermore, despite the potential of that model there have been no pumps of similar type used so far in circulatory support systems. Published data provide a basis for further development and testing of the pump model and allow hoping for leveling a number of signifi cant shortcomings of modern left ventricular bypass systems.