Toward an Adjustable Blood Pump for Wide-Range Operation: In-Vitro Results of Performance Curve and Hydraulic Efficiency.

Rotary blood pumps in Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) applications are optimized for a specific design point. However, in clinical practice, these pumps are usually applied over a wide range of operation points. Studies have shown that a deviation from the design point in a rotary blood pump leads to an unexpected rise of hemolysis with corresponding clinical complications.