Flow rate estimation method of blood pump

1. A method of estimating a flow rate Q of an objective blood pump, which discharges blood using a rotational force of a motor as a driving power source, based on a rotational speed N of the motor, a consumption current I of the motor, and attribute data Z of blood of a patient, the method comprising:

a first step of obtaining flow rate estimation information which describes a relationship among the rotational speed of the motor, the consumption current of the motor and the flow rate of the objective blood pump, and the attribute data of a test liquid or blood; and

a second step of estimating the flow rate Q of the objective blood pump based on the flow rate estimation information and the values of N, I and Z which are obtained by measuring the rotational speed N and the consumption current I of the motor in the objective blood pump, which is implanted inside the body of the patient, and the attribute data Z of the blood of the patient;

wherein the first step includes

a step which forms general flow rate estimation information including correction information by measuring flow rates of a plurality of blood pumps using a blood flow meter when rotational speeds and consumption currents of motors in the respective blood pumps, and attribute data of the test liquid are respectively changed, and

a step in which the rotational speed and the consumption current of the motor in the objective blood pump implanted inside the body of the patient and the attribute data of the blood of the patient are measured, the flow rate of the objective blood pump is measured using a blood flow meter, and the flow rate estimation information on the objective blood pump is formed based on the general flow rate estimation information by substituting the measured data into the correction information;

wherein, in the second step, when the measurement of the flow rate of the objective blood pump with the blood flow meter is allowable, the flow rate estimation information on the objective blood pump is updated by measuring the flow rate of the objective blood pump using the blood flow meter in performing the second step.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate estimation information is a flow rate estimation formula.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate estimation information is a flow rate estimation table.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the blood flow meter is a blood flow meter based on a thermodilution method, a blood flow meter based on a dye dilution method, an electromagnetic blood flow meter, an ultrasonic blood flow meter, a blood flow meter based on a transesophageal echocardiography, a blood flow meter based on a transthoracic echocardiography or a blood flow meter based on an electric impedance method.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the motor is a DC motor.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the attribute data of the test liquid or the blood of the patient comprises viscosity and density.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the attribute data Z of the blood of the patient comprises converted viscosity and converted density which are obtained by conversion of a hematocrit value of the blood of the patient measured in the second step.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the blood pump has a mechanical seal part for performing shaft-sealing of a rotational shaft of the motor.