Prosthetic pump is proposed which can improve liver blood supply by boosting blood pressure locally to the organ. Device has potential use in treatment of cirrhosis of the liver

Fish, J. W.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

•	 • August 1975	 B75-10177 
NASA TECH BRIEF O	 NASA Pasadena Office 	
- 4'r 
NASA Tech Briefs announce neW technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Implantable Prosthetic Pump Boosts Blood Pressure: A Concept 
The problem: 
Cirrhosis of the liver kills 22,000 people each year in 
the United States alone. The disease causes scar tissue 
which restricts the blood supply through to the organ 
and death may occur from toxic products in the blood 
not being filtered out. At the present time, the scar 
tissue cannot be corrected by surgery or drugs. 
The solution: 
A new prosthetic pump is proposed which can 
improve the liver blood supply by boosting the blood 
pressure locally to the organ.
How it's done: 
A cross section of the pump is shown in the 
illustration. The outer element of the pump is a rigid 
hollow cylinder made of a biocompatible polymeric 
material. A series of electric coils is embedded along 
the length of the cylinder. Beneath the coils a small 
hollow cylinder contains a colloidal suspension of 
magnetic particles (ferrofluid). This cylinder is rigidly 
attached to the structure. Its inner surface is a flexible 
membrane-type material. 
The pump is opened up along its length into two 
semicylindrical shells and is placed on a hepatic vein 
.
Snap Closure or	 Power 
Sutural Lace	 Cable 
Direction of  
Pressure Boost
 Electromagnetic 
Ferroflu id 
Piston
Coils
Hepatic 
Vein 
Outer 
Cylinder	 Electromagnetic Coils Inner 
JCylinder I	 LJ 
Iç-
	
	
Rest
Blood 
Flow	
FerrofIuid
-2 
Vein /	 I	 Energized Flexible Annular	 Liner Chamber 
•	 Prosthetic Pump
(continued overleaf) 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National
	
Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United Stales 	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United Slates
	
will be free from privately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19750000177 2020-03-19T20:24:45+00:00Z
approximately 5 cm away from the liver. It then is 
closed by either a snap closure or sutural lace, 
completely wrapping around the vein section. 
Blood pressure is boosted by applying power to each 
ring set of coils in sequence in the direction of the 
flow. When power is applied to the first set of coils, 
the ferrofluid contained in the inner cylinder bunches 
up in that area, compressing that vein section. Next, 
the second set of coils is energized, and the first set is 
deenergized; the ferrofluid bunch moves forward to 
compress the next vein section. The process is 
continued along the pump length, pushing the blood 
flow forward. This is done repeatedly, always starting 
with the first coil set. 
The pump has several important features. First, the 
vein does not have to be cut for the installation. 
Second, the blood does not contact any prosthetic 
material. Third, any heat generated by the pump is 
dissipated in the bloodstream. Finally, there are no 
concentrated pressure points, and hence a potential 
cause of blood cell damage is eliminated.
The pump may be used to boost blood pressure to 
other organs as well. However, more testing is needed 
to make sure that the pump is compatible with the 
veinal blood flow. 
Note: 
No further documentation is available. Specific 
questions, however, may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
NASA Pasadena Office 
4800 Oak Grove Drive 
Pasadena, California 91103 
Reference: B75-10177 
Patent status: 
NASA has decided not to apply for a patent. 
Source: John W. Fish of 
Caltech/JPL 
(NPO-13626)
. 
Categories: 05 (Life Sciences) 
06 (Mechanics) 
01 (Electronics - Components 
B75-10177	 and Circuitry)


Implantable prosthetic pump boosts blood pressure: A concept

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server