D.med Consulting GmbH

Continuous Flow Blood Pump

Description of the company

”Enabling innovative medical solutions for patients worldwide.” - This has been D.med Consulting’s (DMC) vision since 2011. We are a dynamic & experienced development partner with focus on innovation and pragmatic, hands-on solutions, especially in the area of extracorporeal treatment. Together we get things done: Since 2019 DMC is a joint venture of Fresenius Medical Care, the global market leader in the field of renal care and dialysis, and D.med Healthcare Group, a global provider of medical services and medical products in nephrology, diabetes, and other fields of internal medicine. We partner with our shareholders & our clients from concept to implementation of new medical devices.

Situation

In test environments for extracorporal treatments, a stable and reproducible blood flow is essential for reliable performance validation. Currently, peristaltic and membrane pumps are commonly used, but their mechanical principle results in a pulsatile and highly irregular flow pattern. While this may be acceptable in certain clinical applications, it is a significant limitation when a smooth, continuous flow is required for research, testing, and development purposes. For example, in company-internal test stands, irregular flow patterns complicate the evaluation of sensors, components, and safety systems.

Problem

Conventional pumps do not provide a continuous flow. Their inherent pulsatility can interfere with test setups, reduce measurement accuracy, and limit the range of possible applications. For both experimental and preclinical environments, there is a strong need for a pump solution that ensures steady and reliable blood (or blood-substitute) circulation under controlled conditions.

Aims of the project

The objective of the project is to design and build a prototype blood pump, that provides a continuous and stable flow. The project will focus on:

• Developing and evaluating suitable pump concepts that minimize pulsatility and ensure steady flow.
• Designing and constructing a functional prototype.
• Implementing a drive and control unit to regulate the pumps performance.
• Measuring and characterizing the resulting flow under laboratory conditions.
• Assessing stability, reproducibility, and potential improvements for future iterations.

Scopes

• Research and evaluation of suitable pump principles for achieving continuous blood flow.
• Design and prototyping of the mechanical pumping unit.
• Development of a simple drive and control system, operated via serial interface or similar communication methods.
• Integration of flow and pressure sensors for performance monitoring.
• Experimental testing of the prototype in a laboratory environment using blood.
• Measurement and analysis of flow characteristics to verify continuous operation.
• Documentation of design process, test results, and potential improvements.

Target group (students)

• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechatronics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Computer Science

Dates
Please save these dates: Fishing for Experience Termine

Registration
You can apply for Fishing for Experience online.