Diatom Silica/Polysaccharide Elastomeric Hydrogels: Adhesion and Interlocking Synergy

The addition of particles during the sol-to-gel conversion process generally enhances the mechanical properties of the resulting hydrogels. However, the impact of the addition of porous particles during such a process remains an open question. Herein, we report hydrogel-to-elastomer conversions by natural porous particles called diatom frustule silica, namely, Melosira nummuloides. The surface pores provide mechanical interlocking points for polymers that are reinforced by gelation. The most critical aspect when choosing polymeric materials is the presence of water-resistant adhesion moieties, such as catechol, along a polymer chain, such as chitosan. Without catechol, no sol-to-gel conversion is observed; thus, no elastomeric hydrogel is produced. The resulting hybrid gel reveals reversible compressibility up to a 60% strain and high stretchability even up to ∼400% in area. Further, in vivo study demonstrates that the hybrid composite gel can be used as a therapeutic for pressure-induced ulcers. The synergy of chemical adhesion and physical chain entanglement via pores provides a way to fabricate a new class of 100% water-based elastomeric materials.

Conceptual design of heavy ion beam probes on the PLATO tokamak

Heavy ion beam probe (HIBP) systems have been designed for the new tokamak, PLATO [A. Fujisawa, AIP Conf. Proc. 1993, 020011 (2018)]. The designs have been completed, and the installations are in progress. Two HIBPs are being installed in toroidal sections 180° apart to investigate long-range correlations in the toroidal direction. Each HIBP consists of an injection beamline and a detection beamline as usual. Yet, one of the HIBPs is equipped with an additional detection beamline; the measurement positions of its two detection beamlines can be placed on almost the same magnetic surface yet at poloidal angles that differ by ∼180°. The use of three detection beamlines allows us to investigate spatial asymmetry and long-range correlations in both the toroidal and poloidal directions, simultaneously. The detected beam intensity is expected to be enough for turbulence measurements in almost the entire plasma region when the electron density is up to 1 × 10¹⁹ m^-3 by selecting appropriate ion species for the probe beam. Each detector has three channels 10 mm apart, allowing measurement of local structures of micro-scale turbulence. Therefore, using the HIBPs on the PLATO tokamak will enable both local and global properties of plasma turbulence to be investigated, simultaneously.

Tomography system for two-dimensional observation of fluctuation in magnetized plasma

A tomography system is developed for observing local fluctuations, pursuing higher spatial resolution, over the entire plasma of a linear cylindrical plasma. The system is equipped with totally 126 lines-of-sight that are distributed equally to six sets of light guide arrays placed around the plasma. The system has succeeded in measuring the two-dimensional structure of plasma emission and resolving coherent fluctuation structures, with spatial resolution comparable to the ion Larmor radius.

Density profile measurement with a heavy ion beam probe in a toroidal plasma of the compact helical system

A possibility of electron density measurements with heavy ion beam probes (HIBPs) has been demonstrated, along with their capability to measure the potential and magnetic field. A method has been proposed to reconstruct the electron density profile [A. Fujisawa et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 74, 3335 (2003)]. In the method, the profile of secondary beam currents is converted into a local density profile by taking into account local brightness and so-called path integral effects which mean the effect of beam attenuation along the beam orbit. Here the article presents the HIBP measurement of the electron density profile after the proposed method was first applied on the real experimental data of compact helical system plasmas. In the real application, the hollow density and the peaked profiles are successfully obtained with sufficiently high temporal resolution (a few ms), in accordance with the electron density profile measured with Thomson scattering for electron cyclotron resonance heating and neutral beam injection plasmas.

Quantification of Turbulent Driving Forces for the Geodesic Acoustic Mode in the JFT-2M Tokamak

We investigate spatial structures of turbulence and turbulent transport modulated by the geodesic acoustic mode (GAM), from which the excitation mechanism of the GAM is discussed. The GAM is found to be predominantly excited through a localized Reynolds stress force, rather than the dynamic shearing force. The evaluated growth rate is larger than the linear damping coefficients and is on the same order of magnitude as the effective growth rate evaluated from time evolution in the GAM kinetic energy.

Turbulent transport reduction induced by transition on radial electric field shear and curvature through amplitude and cross-phase in torus plasma

Spatiotemporal evolutions of radial electric field and turbulence are measured simultaneously in the H-mode transition, which is a prototypical example of turbulence structure formation in high-temperature plasmas. In the dynamical phase where transport barrier is established abruptly, the time-space-frequency-resolved turbulent particle flux is obtained. Here we report the validation of the mechanism of transport barrier formation quantitatively. It is found that the particle flux is suppressed predominantly by reducing density fluctuation amplitude and cross phase between density fluctuation and potential fluctuation. Both radial electric field shear and curvature are responsible for the amplitude suppression as was predicted by theory. Turbulence amplitude reduction immediately responds to the growth of the radial electric field non-uniformity and saturates, while cross phase continuously approaches zero.

Measurement of thickness of film deposited on the plasma-facing wall in the QUEST tokamak by colorimetry

After several experimental campaigns in the Kyushu University Experiment with Steady-state Spherical Tokamak (QUEST), the originally stainless steel plasma-facing wall (PFW) becomes completely covered with a deposited film composed of mixture materials, such as iron, chromium, carbon, and tungsten. In this work, an innovative colorimetry-based method was developed to measure the thickness of the deposited film on the actual QUEST wall. Because the optical constants of the deposited film on the PFW were position-dependent and the extinction coefficient k₁ was about 1.0-2.0, which made the probing light not penetrate through some thick deposited films, the colorimetry method developed can only provide a rough value range of thickness of the metal-containing film deposited on the actual PFW in QUEST. However, the use of colorimetry is of great benefit to large-area inspections and to radioactive materials in future fusion devices that will be strictly prohibited from being taken out of the limited area.

A proposal of Fourier-Bessel expansion with optimized ensembles of bases to analyse two dimensional image

It is a critical issue to find the best set of fitting function bases in mode structural analysis of two dimensional images like plasma emission profiles. The paper proposes a method to optimize a set of the bases in the case of Fourier-Bessel function series, using their orthonormal property, for more efficient and precise analysis. The method is applied on a tomography image of plasma emission obtained with the Maximum-likelihood expectation maximization method in a linear cylindrical device. The result demonstrates the excellency of the method that realizes the smaller residual error and minimum Akaike information criterion using smaller number of fitting function bases.

Molecular species of prostaglandins involved in modulating luteinising hormone pulses of female rats under infectious stress conditions

Mammalian reproductive function is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, which is suppressed under infectious stress conditions. By analysing the pulsatility of luteinising hormone (LH), we have previously demonstrated that prostaglandins (PGs) in the central nervous system mediate infectious stress to suppress the activity of the HPG axis. The present study aimed to characterise the types of PGs responsible for suppression of the HPG axis. We focused on three major types of PGs: PGE₂ , PGD₂ and PGF_2α . We used female rats overiectomised bilaterally 1 week before the experiments. Lipopolysaccharide (100 μg kg^-1 ) suppressed LH pulses at the same time as enhancing the concentration of all three PGs in the cerebrospinal fluid, which was restored by indomethacin (10 mg kg^-1 ). Subsequently, we observed LH pulsatility after a single injection of each PG and after co-injection of PGE₂ with PGF_2α into the third cerebral ventricle. A single injection of PGE₂ dose-dependently induced a transient increase in mean LH concentration and LH pulse amplitude, and PGD₂ significantly increased the amplitude of LH pulses, wereas PGF_2α did not affect LH pulsatility. On the other hand, co-injection of PGE₂ and PGF_2α induced a significant suppression of both the frequency and amplitude of LH pulses. These results suggest that PGE₂ and PGF_2α can represent two of the mediators that suppress the HPG axis in situations of infectious stress. Moreover, the results imply that there are two contradictory effects of PGE₂ on LH pulsatility: (i) enhancive when working alone and (ii) suppressive when working together with PGF_2α .

Synchronization of Geodesic Acoustic Modes and Magnetic Fluctuations in Toroidal Plasmas

The synchronization of geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) and magnetic fluctuations is identified in the edge plasmas of the HL-2A tokamak. Mesoscale electric fluctuations (MSEFs) having components of a dominant GAM, and m/n=6/2 potential fluctuations are found at the same frequency as that of the magnetic fluctuations of m/n=6/2 (m and n are poloidal and toroidal mode numbers, respectively). The temporal evolutions of the MSEFs and the magnetic fluctuations clearly show the frequency entrainment and the phase lock between the GAM and the m/n=6/2 magnetic fluctuations. The results indicate that GAMs and magnetic fluctuations can transfer energy through nonlinear synchronization. Such nonlinear synchronization may also contribute to low-frequency zonal flow formation, reduction of turbulence level, and thus confinement regime transitions.

Experimental Identification of Electric Field Excitation Mechanisms in a Structural Transition of Tokamak Plasmas

Self-regulation between structure and turbulence, which is a fundamental process in the complex system, has been widely regarded as one of the central issues in modern physics. A typical example of that in magnetically confined plasmas is the Low confinement mode to High confinement mode (L-H) transition, which is intensely studied for more than thirty years since it provides a confinement improvement necessary for the realization of the fusion reactor. An essential issue in the L-H transition physics is the mechanism of the abrupt "radial" electric field generation in toroidal plasmas. To date, several models for the L-H transition have been proposed but the systematic experimental validation is still challenging. Here we report the systematic and quantitative model validations of the radial electric field excitation mechanism for the first time, using a data set of the turbulence and the radial electric field having a high spatiotemporal resolution. Examining time derivative of Poisson's equation, the sum of the loss-cone loss current and the neoclassical bulk viscosity current is found to behave as the experimentally observed radial current that excites the radial electric field within a few factors of magnitude.

A Concept of Cross-Ferroic Plasma Turbulence

The variety of scalar and vector fields in laboratory and nature plasmas is formed by plasma turbulence. Drift-wave fluctuations, driven by density gradients in magnetized plasmas, are known to relax the density gradient while they can generate flows. On the other hand, the sheared flow in the direction of magnetic fields causes Kelvin-Helmholtz type instabilities, which mix particle and momentum. These different types of fluctuations coexist in laboratory and nature, so that the multiple mechanisms for structural formation exist in extremely non-equilibrium plasmas. Here we report the discovery of a new order in plasma turbulence, in which chained structure formation is realized by cross-interaction between inhomogeneities of scalar and vector fields. The concept of cross-ferroic turbulence is developed, and the causal relation in the multiple mechanisms behind structural formation is identified, by measuring the relaxation rate and dissipation power caused by the complex turbulence-driven flux.

Dynamical programming based turbulence velocimetry for fast visible imaging of tokamak plasma

An orthogonal dynamic programming (ODP) based particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique is developed to measure the time resolved flow field of the fluctuating structures at the plasma edge and scrape off layer (SOL) of tokamaks. This non-intrusive technique can provide two dimensional velocity fields at high spatial and temporal resolution from a fast framing image sequence and hence can provide better insights into plasma flow as compared to conventional probe measurements. Applicability of the technique is tested with simulated image pairs. Finally, it is applied to tangential fast visible images of QUEST plasma to estimate the SOL flow in inboard poloidal null-natural divertor configuration. This technique is also applied to investigate the intricate features of the core of the run-away dominated phase following the injection of a large amount of neutrals in the target Ohmic plasma. Development of the ODP-PIV code and its applicability on actual plasma images is reported.

A prototype diagnostics system to detect ultraviolet emission for plasma turbulence

A system to detect ultraviolet emissions from plasma is developed for multi-point measurement, the target of which is the imaging of turbulence with a high temporal resolution. A fluorescent glass, which converts ultraviolet emissions to visible light with a wavelength of approximately 540 nm, is utilized in the system. Following the conversion, the fluorescent light is transferred with fibre optics, and is converted to electric signals in a location that is sufficiently distant from an electrically noisy environment around the plasma device. This paper describes a prototype system of this diagnostic method and discusses the spectral analysis obtained using a low-aspect-ratio reversed field pinch RELAX.

Thermal imaging of plasma with a phased array antenna in QUEST

A thermal imaging system to measure plasma Electron Bernstein Emission (EBE) emanating from the mode conversion region in overdense plasma is discussed. Unlike conventional ECE/EBE imaging, this diagnostics does not employ any active mechanical scanning mirrors or focusing optics to scan for the emission cones in plasma. Instead, a standard 3 × 3 waveguide array antenna is used as a passive receiver to collect emission from plasma and imaging reconstruction is done by accurate measurements of phase and intensity of these signals by heterodyne detection technique. A broadband noise source simulating the EBE, is installed near the expected mode conversion region and its position is successfully reconstructed using phase array technique which is done in post processing.

Spatiotemporal structures of edge limit-cycle oscillation before L-to-H transition in the JFT-2M tokamak

In this Letter, we report analyses of spatiotemporal dynamics of turbulence and structure in the limit-cycle oscillation (LCO) that precedes an L-to-H transition. Zonal flows are not observed during LCO, and the oscillation is the periodic generations or decays of barrier with edge-localized mean flow. Oscillatory Reynolds stress is found to be too small to accelerate the LCO flow, by considering the dielectric constant in magnetized toroidal plasmas. Propagation of changes of the density gradient and turbulence amplitude into the core is also observed.

Fast visible imaging and edge turbulence analysis in QUEST

A fast visible imaging system is installed on the spherical tokamak QUEST to study edge turbulence. The camera uses a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor detector with a maximum resolution of 1024 × 1024 at 7000 frames∕s (fps) and can achieve 775 kfps at a resolution of 128 × 24. In this paper, we present the salient features of the system and its application to study edge turbulence in 8.2 GHz ECRH driven slab plasma, without plasma current. Vertical magnetic field (B(z)) topology is varied with three sets of poloidal field (PF) coils and the variation in the edge turbulence is investigated as a function of the B(z) strength and curvature. Fluctuation amplitude was highest for the shallow PF well. Cross-correlation coefficient shows distinct coherent mode along z direction at the steep density gradient region and it grows with the PF mirror ratio.

microRNA-mediated keratinocyte hyperproliferation in psoriasis vulgaris

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by intense proliferation and abnormal differentiation of keratinocytes, although the pathogenesis is still not completely clarified.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the mechanism of keratinocyte proliferation seen in psoriasis, focusing on microRNA (miRNA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

miRNAs were extracted from tissues and sera of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and healthy control. To determine pathogenic miRNAs, we performed miRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array analysis. The results were confirmed with quantitative real-time PCR, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, transient transfection of siRNA and inhibitor in cultured keratinocytes and Western blotting.

RESULTS

PCR array analysis using tissue miRNA demonstrated miR-424 level was markedly decreased in psoriasis skin in vivo. Protein expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK1) or cyclin E1, predicted target genes of miR-424, was increased in psoriatic skin, although their mRNA levels were not. The transfection of specific inhibitor of miR-424 in normal human keratinocytes led to upregulation of MEK1 or cyclin E1 protein, and resulted in increased cell proliferation. On the other hand, cell number was significantly decreased when cells were transfected with siRNA for MEK1 or cyclin E1. Furthermore, we first investigated serum miRNA levels in psoriasis. Although not significant, serum miR-424 concentration tended to be decreased in patients with psoriasis compared with healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased miR-424 expression and subsequently increased MEK1 or cyclin E1 may play a key role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Investigation of the regulatory mechanisms of keratinocyte proliferation by miRNA may lead to new treatments and a disease activity marker.

Observation of long-distance radial correlation in toroidal plasma turbulence

This Letter presents the discovery of macroscale electron temperature fluctuations with a long radial correlation length comparable to the plasma minor radius in a toroidal plasma. Their spatiotemporal structure is characterized by a low frequency of ∼1-3  kHz, ballistic radial propagation, a poloidal or toroidal mode number of m/n=1/1 (or 2/1), and an amplitude of ∼2% at maximum. Nonlinear coupling between the long-range fluctuations and the microscopic fluctuations is identified. A change of the amplitude of the long-range fluctuation is transmitted across the plasma radius at the velocity which is of the order of the drift velocity.

Observation of quasi-two-dimensional nonlinear interactions in a drift-wave streamer

A streamer, which is a bunching of drift-wave fluctuations, and its mediator, which generates the streamer by coupling with other fluctuations, have been observed in a cylindrical magnetized plasma. Their radial structures were investigated in detail by using the biphase analysis. Their quasi-two-dimensional structures were revealed to be equivalent with a pair of fast and slow modes predicted by a nonlinear Schrödinger equation based on the Hasegawa-Mima model.

Fine positioning of a poloidal probe array

Multipoint detection is an essential requirement for investigating plasma turbulence which is a highly nonlinear phenomenon in space and time. We have fabricated an array of 64-channel poloidal probes surrounding the linear cylindrical plasma named LMD-U in order to study turbulence properties, particularly the nonlinear mode couplings, in the domain of poloidal wave number and frequency. However, misalignments of probe tips produce spurious modes, which do not exist in the real plasma, to distort the precise wave number measurements. The paper presents the description of the 64-channel poloidal probe array with means to adjust the probe positions, with discussion on the effects of the misalignments on the wave number measurements.

Reconstruction method of local density fluctuation for heavy ion beam probe measurements

Heavy ion beam probe (HIBP) is an excellent diagnostic to measure the density and potential fluctuations simultaneously in magnetically confined plasmas. However, it has been well known that the density fluctuation measured with the HIBP is not local but contains the fluctuations along the beam orbits. In this article, a method is proposed to evaluate local density fluctuation in the HIBP measurements by removing the well-known path integral effects. The reconstructed density fluctuation amplitude and power spectrum are shown, for example, by applying the proposed method on the density fluctuation measurement data obtained in a toroidal helical plasma, Compact Helical System.

Experimental evidence of a zonal magnetic field in a toroidal plasma

A zonal magnetic field is found in a toroidal plasma. The magnetic field has a symmetric bandlike structure, which is uniform in the toroidal and poloidal directions and varies radially with a finite wavelength of mesoscale, which is analogous to zonal flows. A time-dependent bicoherence analysis reveals that the magnetic field should be generated by the background plasma turbulence. The discovery is classified as a new kind of phenomenon of structured magnetic field generation, giving insight into phenomena such as dipole field generation in rotational planets.

Induction of apoptosis by paclitaxel in human oral carcinoma cells

The present study investigated induction of apoptosis in NB-1 oral carcinoma cells by paclitaxel and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in relation to this apoptotic cell death. Paclitaxel induced apoptotic cell death in NB-1 cells in a dose- and a time-dependent manner. The present results suggest that paclitaxel can induce apoptosis of NB-1 cells, which may be mediated by down-regulation of Bcl-2 together with up-regulation of Bax.

Identification of zonal flows in a toroidal plasma

This Letter presents experimental confirmation of the presence of zonal flows in magnetically confined toroidal plasma using an advanced diagnostic system--dual heavy ion beam probes. The simultaneous observation of an electric field at two distant toroidal locations (approximately 1.5 m apart) in the high temperature (approximately 1 keV) plasma provides a fluctuation spectrum of electric field (or flow), a spatiotemporal structure of the zonal flows (characteristic radial length of approximately 1.5 cm and lifetime of approximately 1.5 ms), their long-range correlation with toroidal symmetry (n=0), and the difference in the zonal flow amplitude with and without a transport barrier. These constitute essential elements of turbulence-zonal flow systems, and illustrate one of the fundamental processes of structure formation in nature.

An unusual vitamin E constituent (alpha-tocomonoenol) provides enhanced antioxidant protection in marine organisms adapted to cold-water environments

A new vitamin E constituent having an unusual methylene unsaturation at the isoprenoid-chain terminus of alpha-tocopherol (alpha-Toc) was isolated from chum salmon eggs and was found to have identical antioxidant activity as does alpha-Toc in methanol or liposomal suspension at 37 degrees C. Here we report that this marine-derived tocopherol (MDT) is broadly distributed with alpha-Toc in the tissue of marine fish, and that the MDT composition of total vitamin E is greater in the flesh of cold-water salmon (12-20%) than in that of tropical fish (< or =2.5%). Vitamin E analysis of cultured masu salmon maintained on a MDT-deplete diet showed substantially less MDT content than native masu salmon, suggesting a trophic origin of MDT. This contention is supported by the finding of MDT in marine plankton from the cold waters of Hokkaido. We found that MDT inhibited peroxidation of cholesterol-containing phosphatidylcholine liposomes to a greater extent than did alpha-Toc at 0 degrees C. Furthermore, the ratios of the rate constants for MDT and alpha-Toc to scavenge peroxyl radicals increased with decreasing rates of radical flux in liposomes and fish oil at 0 degrees C, indicating that the enhanced activity of MDT at low temperature is attributed to its greater rate of diffusion in viscous lipids. These results suggest that MDT production, or its trophic accumulation, may reduce lipid peroxidation in marine organisms functionally adapted to cold-water environments.

[A case of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral floor showing a complete response to oral administration of UFT]

A 73-year-old male with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral floor (T1N0M0), who had not consented to radical treatment was treated with UFT by oral administration alone. After commencement of the administration, tumor remission was observed at 2 weeks and disappeared clinically at 8 weeks. The total period of oral administration of UFT was twenty-three months, and the total dose was 186.5 g as tegafur. Major adverse effects were pigmentation of hands and liver dysfunction. He remains under observation, and there is no evidence of tumor recurrence.

In vitro evaluation of the heparin-coated Gyro C1E3 blood pump

The blood-contacting surface, mainly composed of polycarbonate, of the Gyro C1E3 pump was modified using plasma glow discharge to introduce a carboxyl functional group, coated with a base layer of polyethyleneimine as a linker, and coupled with heparin by multi-ionic binding to enhance blood compatibility. A relative surface content of 3.7% sulfur, which demonstrated heparin immobilization on the polycarbonate substrate, was observed on x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and a initial bioactivity of approximately 88.5 +/- 7.3 mIU/cm2 was obtained by the chromogenic method for antifactor Xa assay. Furthermore, in vitro observation of platelet and fibrin adherence using bovine blood under dynamic flow conditions for 6 h revealed that the multi-ionically heparinized Gyro C1E3 had significantly stronger antithrombogenecity than the noncoated original type which was evaluated as a good hemocompatible blood pump for clinical use. Not only the Gyro C1E3 but also the ionically heparin-coated Gyro pump are expected to be thromboresistant in clinical use.

Observation of toroidal flow antiparallel to the <E(r) x B(straight theta)> drift direction in the hot electron mode plasmas in the compact helical system

A toroidal flow antiparallel to the <E(r) x B(straight theta)> drift direction is observed in the hot electron mode plasmas when a large positive electric field and a sharp electron temperature gradient are sustained inside the internal transport barrier in the Compact Helical System. This toroidal flow reaches up to 5x10(4) m/s at the plasma center, and it is large enough to reverse the toroidal flow driven by a tangentially injected neutral beam. These observations clearly show the plasma favors flow in the minimum nablaB direction at the transport barrier.

Twenty-three cases of primary cornea guttata

PURPOSE

To evaluate the clinical aspects of patients with primary cornea guttata and the specular microscopical findings/morphology in their corneal endothelial cells.

METHODS

Twenty-three patients consulting Kanazawa Medical University Hospital or related hospitals in Ishikawa or Fukui prefectures and diagnosed with primary cornea guttata by slit-lamp examination underwent an analysis of their clinical features and corneal endothelial cells.

RESULTS

Most cases were middle-aged to elderly women. None of them complained of visual impairment due to cornea guttata. The 46 eyes of these cases were included in this study. Specular microscopical findings revealed that the size and density of dark areas varied, with asymmetry noted in some cases. The parameters of the endothelial cells comprising mean cell area, the proportion of hexagonal cells, and the coefficient of variation, were almost within normal limits except for 1 eye of a 79-year-old man who was speculated to be at an early stage of Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. Three cases had undergone cataract surgery, but did not show significant changes in endothelial morphology before and after surgery. In a statistical study on endothelial cell morphology, cell parameters except for minimal cell area correlated significantly with age. Although the density and size of dark areas correlated with each other, neither correlated with any of the cell parameters.

CONCLUSION

Cornea guttata does not lead to visual impairment or abnormalities in corneal endothelial cell parameters except for a small number of cases that must be considered to be at an early stage of Fuchs dystrophy.

Impeller design for a miniaturized centrifugal blood pump

The impeller design for a miniature centrifugal blood pump is an important consideration since the small diameter impeller requires higher rotational speed, which may cause more blood trauma compared to the larger diameter impeller. Three different impeller vanes (straight vanes with a height of 4 mm and 8 mm, and 8 mm curved vanes) of which the diameter was 35 mm were subjected to hydraulic performance and hemolysis tests in the same pump housing. Both straight vane impellers attained left ventricular assist condition (5 L/min against 100 mm Hg) at 2,900 rpm while the curved vane required 3,280 rpm. There was no significant hemolysis difference between the tall and short vanes. The curved impeller vanes did not exhibit sufficient hydraulic performance when compared to the straight vanes. The straight vane impellers, even with different heights, were incorporated into the same pump housings, and the vane heights did not drastically change the hydraulic performance or hemolysis.

Gyro pump wear and deformation analysis in vivo study: creep deformation

The Gyro pump has a double pivot bearing system to support its impeller. In this study, the integrity of the bearing system was examined after ex vivo studies. The pumps were implanted into calves and evaluated for different periods as a paracorporeal left ventricular assist device (LVAD). One pump was subjected to a test of 30 days, 1 for 15 days, 4 for 14 days, 1 for 10 days, 1 for 7 days, 2 for 4 days, and 4 for 2 days. One additional pump was subjected to percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) condition for 6 days (total pressure head 500 mm Hg with a pump flow rate of 3 L/min). The anticoagulation treatment consisted of a continuous administration of heparin to maintain an achieved clotting time (ACT) of 200-250 s during the LVAD study and 250-300 s during the PCPS study. After the experiment, the pumps were disassembled, and the wear and deformation of male and female bearings were analyzed. There were no dimensional changes on male bearings but there were on female bearings. Wear and deformation of the female bearings were calculated as follows: wear and deformation = (depth of female before pumping) - (depth after pumping). Thirteen assembled Gyro pumps were disassembled to measure the depth of the female bearings before pumping. There was no statistical relationship between the wear and deformation and the motor speed x driving period. From these results, the deformation was not due to wear but to the creep or elastic deformation. This study suggested that the double pivot bearing system of the Gyro pump is highly durable.

Control system for an implantable rotary blood pump

Rotary blood pumps can be used for long-term left ventricular assist devices. These pumps have several advantages over the conventional pulsatile pumps including smaller size, higher efficiency, and simple design and construction. However, one of the difficulties associated with the rotary blood pump is the proper control method to maintain an optimum flow rate in different physiological conditions. The rotary blood pump can be controlled by two methods. The first is to utilize the measured pump flow rate from its servo signal. The second is to detect and avoid abnormal pumping conditions such as; back flow and sudden increase in the pressure head. This abnormal situation typically occurs from excessive suction of blood when there is a functional or mechanical occlusion in the inflow cannula. The ultrasound flow meter is durable and reliable but it is difficult to continually monitor the blood flow rate of an implantable pump. Therefore, another method is needed instead of the continuous flow monitoring. One chronic calf having an LVAD was subjected for the development of this control system. This calf survived more than 6 months. Voltage, current, motor speed, heart rate and the pump flow rate were recorded and stored at 30-min intervals in a computer. Utilizing these parameters, attempts were made (1) to achieve indirect flow assessments and (2) to reveal abnormal operating parameters of the centrifugal pump (1). Indirect flow measurement, the predicted pump flow rate was calculated from these pump derived parameters (required power, motor speed and heart rate). The value of the coefficient of determination (R) between the measured and estimated pump flow rate was 0.796. (2) Abnormal operating indicator, there was an association between the required current and pump flow waves. The current was differentiated, and then calculated to the power of the differentiated current. The normal range of this value was 0.02+/-0.54. In abnormal conditions, this abnormal operating indicator increased 500 times. The predicted flow estimation method and abnormal operating indicator were available from intrinsic operating parameters of the pump and need no sensors. These two methods were simple, yet they are possibly effective and reliable servo control methods for a rotary blood pump.