Creator: Daniel Kolodey         School: Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy                           BEST Hub: Grove City College

I am Daniel Kolodey, and I am a member of the CVCA Royal Technic Robotics team. I took on the 3D Printing Challenge given by BEST Robotics. I started by researching the anatomy of the heart to understand what I was designing. Then I researched the “Bridge to Transplant” goal. Upon doing this research, I found that a ventricular assist device (VAD) is commonly used as a bridge to transplant. A VAD is a device that connects to a ventricle and helps the heart pump blood from its ventricles to an artery. I learned about the types, capabilities and design of VADs. I also learned about different pump designs so that I would be able to implement one into my VAD. 

After completing my research, I designed my VAD in Onshape. I then 3D printed everything. After some minor redesigns, the final product was successfully produced. The design consists of four major elements: the pump lid and feeding tube, the pump body and exit tube, the pump motor encasing and the impeller. All of the outer components were connected through cantilever snap-fit joints. The pump motor encasing is designed for an N20 DC Motor. 

Except for the motor needed to move the impeller, the VAD is able to be entirely 3D printed. The VAD supports the “Bridge to Transplant” goal through being able to be easily mass produced while assisting the heart’s pumping until a new heart can be provided for the patient. 

Default Bambu Studio Generic PLA settings were used to print the impeller and pump motor encasing

Sources used for research: 

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22600-ventricular-assist-devices

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Diagram-of-the-left-ventricular-assist-device-LVAD-used-in-this-experiment-The-inlet_fig7_301696601

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/ventricular-assist-device

https://edecmo.org/additional-technologies/ventricular-assist-devices-vads/lvads/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/biventricular-assist-device

https://thoracickey.com/ventricular-assist-device-support-for-hypoplastic-left-heart-syndrome-fontan-failure-and-end-stage-systemic-right-ventricular-dysfunction/

https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-a-Mini-Water-Pump/

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-recalls/medtronic-recalls-hvad-pump-implant-kit-pump-weld-defect

https://www.medtronic.com/content/dam/medtronic-com/products/cardiovascular/cannulae/documents/cannulae-us-product-catalog-medtronic.pdf