In this study, mechanical trauma to red blood cells was evaluated by conventional hemolysis test and a newly developed cyclically reversing shear flow generator. The fresh porcine blood obtained from a local slaughterhouse was subjected to the conventional hemolysis test using a commercial centrifugal blood pump for the duration of 8 h. The measurements consisted of (i) plasma-free hemoglobin based on the standard optical measurement and (ii) the deformability of red blood cells (RBCs) using a cyclically reversing shear flow generator and microscope image acquisition system. The deformability of RBCs was expressed by the L/W value where L and W were the longer and shorter axes of the elongated RBCs' images. Although the plasma-free hemoglobin level increased with the pumping duration, the L/W remained unchanged for the duration of 8 h of pumping to indicate no alteration in the deformability. It was speculated that (i) although RBCs might have been circulated for so many times through the test pump, after each exposure to mechanical stress, RBCs might have recovered, and net effect due to shear stress-exposure time might have been small; and (ii) RBCs' deformability might be maintained near normal until sudden burst or membrane rupture, or the hemoglobin might have continuously leaked through the pores of the thinned membrane created by the mechanical stress. The deformability testing under a fluctuating shear flow could be a new method to quantify subhemolytic mechanical damage that has been accumulated in the RBCs' membrane and that may not be assessed by the conventional hemolysis test.

In this study, mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) were measured to quantify RBC damage by rotary blood pumps. Six-hour hemolysis tests were conducted with a Bio-pump BPX-80, a Sarns 15200 roller pump, and a prototype mag-lev centrifugal pump (MedTech Heart) using fresh porcine blood circulated at 5 L/min against a 100 mm Hg head pressure. The temperature of the test and noncirculated control blood was maintained at 37 degrees C. The normalized index of hemolysis (NIH) of each pump was determined by measuring the plasma-free hemoglobin level. The MCV was measured with a Coulter counter, and MCHC was derived from total hemoglobin and hematocrit. MCH was derived from MCV and MCHC. A multivariance statistical analysis (ANOVA) revealed statistically significant differences (n = 15, P < 0.05) in MCV, MCHC, and MCH between the blood sheared by the rotary blood pumps and the nonsheared control blood. Normalized to the control blood, the Bio-pump BPX-80 showed an MCV of 1.04 +/- 0.03, an MCHC of 0.95 +/- 0.04, and an MCH of 0.98 +/- 0.02; the mag-lev MedTech Heart had an MCV of 1.02 +/- 0.02, an MCHC of 0.97 +/- 0.02, and an MCH of 0.99 +/- 0.01; and the roller pump exhibited an MCV of 1.03 +/- 0.03, an MCHC of 0.96 +/- 0.03, and an MCH of 0.99 +/- 0.01. Per 0.01 increase in NIH, the BPX-80 showed a normalized MCV change of +10.1% and a normalized MCHC change of -14.0%; the MedTech Heart demonstrated a +6.9% MCV and -9.5% MCHC change; and the roller pump had a +0.5% MCV and -0.6% MCHC change. Due to shear in the pump circuits, the RBC increased while the MCHC decreased. The likely mechanism is that older RBCs with smaller size and higher hemoglobin concentration were destroyed fast by the shear, leaving younger RBCs with larger size and lower hemoglobin concentration. Subhemolytic trauma caused the intracellular hemoglobin to decrease due to gradual hemoglobin leakage through the micropores formed in the thinned membrane. In conclusion, the rate of change in MCV and MCHC with respect to NIH change provides useful information relating to selective destruction of RBCs, while the MCH level reflects subhemolytic damage.

A magnetic fluid seal enables mechanical contact-free rotation of a shaft without frictional heat and material wear and hence has excellent durability. However, the durability of a magnetic fluid seal decreases in liquid. The life of a seal applied to a rotary blood pump is not known. We have developed a magnetic fluid seal that has a shield mechanism minimizing the influence of the rotary pump on the magnetic fluid. The developed magnetic fluid seal worked for over 286 days in a continuous flow condition, for 24 days (on-going) in a pulsatile flow condition and for 24 h (electively terminated) in blood flow. The magnetic fluid seal is promising as a shaft seal for rotary blood pumps.

We have evaluated the feasibility of a newly developed single-use, magnetically levitated centrifugal blood pump, MedTech Mag-Lev, in a 3-week extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) study in calves against a Medtronic Bio-Pump BPX-80. A heparin- and silicone-coated polypropylene membrane oxygenator MERA NHP Excelung NSH-R was employed as an oxygenator. Six healthy male Holstein calves with body weights of about 100 kg were divided into two groups, four in the MedTech group and two in the Bio-Pump group. Under general anesthesia, the blood pump and oxygenator were inserted extracorporeally between the main pulmonary artery and the descending aorta via a fifth left thoracotomy. Postoperatively, both the pump and oxygen flow rates were controlled at 3 L/min. Heparin was continuously infused to maintain the activated clotting time at 200-240 s. All the MedTech ECMO calves completed the study duration. However, the Bio-Pump ECMO calves were terminated on postoperative days 7 and 10 because of severe hemolysis and thrombus formation. At the start of the MedTech ECMO, the pressure drop across the oxygenator was about 25 mm Hg with the pump operated at 2800 rpm and delivering 3 L/min flow. The PO2 of the oxygenator outlet was higher than 400 mm Hg with the PCO2 below 45 mm Hg. Hemolysis and thrombus were not seen in the MedTech ECMO circuits (plasma-free hemoglobin [PFH] < 5 mg/dL), while severe hemolysis (PFH > 20 mg/dL) and large thrombus were observed in the Bio-Pump ECMO circuits. Plasma leakage from the oxygenator did not occur in any ECMO circuits. Three-week cardiopulmonary support was performed successfully with the MedTech ECMO without circuit exchanges. The MedTech Mag-Lev could help extend the durability of ECMO circuits by the improved biocompatible performances.

Complications due to pump thrombus remain the weak point of mechanical circulatory support (MCS), such as the use of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, leading to poor outcomes. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is an effective imaging method using a hyperspectral (HS) camera, which comprises a spectrophotometer and a charge-coupled device camera to discriminate thrombus from whole blood. Animal experiments were conducted to analyze dynamic imaging of thrombus inside a prototype of a hydrodynamically levitated centrifugal blood pump using an HSI system. Six pigs were divided into a venous circulation group (n = 3) and an arterial circulation group (n = 3). Inflow and outflow cannulae were inserted into the jugular veins in the venous circulation group. The latter simulated an LVAD application. To create thrombogenic conditions, pump flow was maintained at 1 L/min without anticoagulation. An image of the bottom surface of the pump was captured by the HS camera every 4 nm over the wavelength range of 608-752 nm. Real-time dynamic images of the inside of the pump were displayed on the monitor. Appearance of an area displaying thrombus was detected within 24 h after the start of the circulation in every experiment. This imaging system also succeeded in determining the origins of pump thrombus: from inside the pump in two cases, and from outside in four cases. Two main possible sources of pump thrombus originating outside the pump were identified on autopsy: wedge thrombus around the inflow cannula; and string-like thrombus at the junction between the pump inlet and circuit tube. The results of this study from close observation of the changing appearance of pump thrombus may contribute to improvements in the safety of extracorporeal MCS.