Active Magnetic Levitation Bearing Optimization and Dynamic Evaluation for a Hemocompatibility Assessment Platform

Long term use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) is often hindered by hemocompatibility and clotting issues. To ameliorate these difficulties, we proposed a Hemocompatibility Assessment Platform (HAP) that can evaluate the hemocompatibility of individual components of LVADs. To eliminate the hemolysis induced by the HAP itself, we developed a Maglev system using a passive magnetic bearing to suspend the rotor radially and an Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) to control rotor axially. In this study, we evaluated the dynamic performance of the Maglev system. The rotor was successfully levitated and the maximum gap between the Maglev Stator and rotor was 0.25 mm. The stable operating point was at 0.125mm gap. Levitation was stable up to 10 G's and 2000 rpm.