title: Tubular vacuum-powered blood-pumping device with active valves.
abstract: We propose a new vacuum-driven blood pump having a tubular shape with active valves. This design avoids any possible problems caused by membrane breakage, thereby minimizing the risk of gas embolic events and stagnation regions. By using active valves, it is possible to ensure better flow control and minimize pressure gradients inside and outside the pump. The low cost of the pump's disposable parts enables it to be used for such applications as a ventricular assist device, a pulsatile pump device in extracorporeal circulation, a pump in hemodialysis and apheresis circuits, and a pump in extracorporeal membrane oxygenator systems.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: del Cañizo
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Antoranz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Desco
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: García-Barreno
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation; D006354:Heart, Artificial / Q000639:trends; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards*; D010107:Oxygenators, Membrane / Q000592:standards*; D011312:Pressure