Strain analysis of flexing blood pump diaphragms

✍ Scribed by Dr. S. K. Kesavan; S. A. Yazdani

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 366 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1045-4861
• DOI: 10.1002/jab.770030409

✦ Synopsis

Blood pumps usually use elastomer diaphragms that undergo repeated small-strain flexing (deformation). The stresses and strains that develop in the mechanically actuated diaphragms dictate the useful life and fluid-solid interactions of the diaphragm. A knowledge of these stresses and strains is essential for proper design of the pump's elastomer diaphragm. A nonlinear axisymmetric finite-element stress-strain analysis has been carried out on a Hexsyn rubber diaphragm used in a blood pump to illustrate a finite-element modeling technique. A situation involving the application of an axial deformation load on the diaphragm has been considered. In particular, the strains developed in a blood pump diaphragm during pumping have been quantified to illustrate the analysis technique.