Graphical Abstract

Project Overview

Mechanical blood trauma, particularly hemolysis (red blood cell rupture), is a major limiting factor in the design and longevity of mechanical circulatory devices like blood pumps and oxygenators. Prior models attempting to predict this damage were limited, focusing on only one primary mechanism: either slow, cumulative damage (sublethal stress) or catastrophic failure (threshold shear). This project addressed the limitation by developing a unified, new semi-empirical model that mathematically accounts for both sublethal hemoglobin permeation and catastrophic cell membrane breakdown, providing a more comprehensive and accurate prediction of total mechanical blood trauma.

Major Outcomes

• Unified Hemolysis Model: Introduced a novel semi-empirical model that integrates the effects of both sublethal (permeation) and nonuniform threshold (rupture) mechanical trauma.
• Improved Accuracy: Demonstrated that the new model provides a more accurate prediction of total hemoglobin release than prior single-mechanism models, particularly across a wider range of shear stress conditions.
• Enhanced Design Tool: Established a stronger theoretical foundation for engineers to evaluate and minimize blood damage during the design phase of various circulatory support devices.
• Validated Prediction: Successfully calibrated the model using existing literature data, confirming its ability to accurately describe the mechanical forces that trigger red blood cell damage.

Hemolysis measurements of Human and Porcine Blood at various shear stresses

Paper Source

To access the paper, please click here.