Title: Optimal impeller design for an intravascular ventricular assist pump: a CFD-based study

Authors: Amir Alaei-Baher; Hanieh Niroomand-Oscuii; Reza Sahebi-Kuzeh Kanan; Erfan Namaki

Addresses: Division of Biomechanics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran ' Department of Biomedical Engineering, Division of Biomechanics, Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran ' Division of Biomechanics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran ' University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA

Abstract: Today, new ventricular assist devices are catheter-inserted as a temporary solution for acute heart failure patients awaiting a heart transplant. This study designed a novel intravascular left ventricular assist pump inserted via a catheter, emphasising its compact design. The primary design challenge was selecting the optimal impeller. Using numerical simulation based on the Archimedean screw theory, eight impeller models, varying in pitch length and blade rotations, were examined for the axial flow pump. Performance was assessed across rotational speeds (13,260 to 19,260 rpm). The optimal impeller, selected based on the operating point (5 l/min and 80 mmHg at 16, 260 rpm) and the hemolysis index, featured a pitch length of 9.2. Results confirm the pump's potential for clinical use, offering high efficiency and low risk of blood damage. The novelty is the impeller design using the Archimedean screw concept and the methodology for determining the pitch steps.

Keywords: intravascular ventricular assist device; axial flow pump; acute heart failure; Archimedean screw; hemolysis.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2026.152132

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2026 Vol.26 No.2, pp.113 - 124

Received: 04 Dec 2024
Accepted: 26 Aug 2025
Published online: 09 Mar 2026 *

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