System and method for a blood flow simulator
A blood flow simulator generates a compression and expansion in a test fluid that emulates the pressure waveform created by a heartbeat in blood flow. The blood flow simulator stores a plurality of pressure waveform files that include actual data recorded from a heartbeat, arterial pressure waveform, or venous pressure waveform. One or more of the pressure waveform files may be selected and the pressure waveform file is used by the blood flow simulator 100 to generate a pressure waveform in pressurized fluid. The pressurized fluid flows through a test site, such as a surrogate body part or an optical window or other component with material having similar properties to human tissue. Various target substances may also be added to the fluid in known concentrations for testing and configuration of medical devices at the test site.
1. A blood flow simulator, comprising:
a system controller including a memory for storing a plurality of pressure waveform files;
a pressure waveform generator configured to generate a pressure waveform; and
an optical bladder including an optical window test bed, wherein the optical bladder is configured to induce the pressure waveform in fluid in the optical window test bed in response to at least one of the plurality of pressure waveform files;
an acoustic induction bladder, wherein the pressure waveform generator is configured to generate the pressure waveform in gas in the acoustic induction bladder in response to the at least one of the plurality of pressure waveform files; and
an induction coupler situated between the acoustic induction bladder and the optical bladder, wherein the induction coupler is configured to exert pressure onto the optical bladder in response to the pressure waveform in the gas in the acoustic induction bladder.
2. The blood flow simulator of claim 1 , wherein the optical window test bed comprises a material with elasticity and optical properties similar to human tissue.
3. The blood flow simulator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pressure waveform files includes data from at least one of: a heart rate, a heartbeat waveform, an arterial blood pressure waveform, a respiration waveform, a background tissue response waveform, or a venous blood pressure waveform.
4. The blood flow simulator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pressure waveform files includes data indicative of arrhythmia, including at least one of: an accelerated heartrate, a low heart rate, or an irregular cardiac rhythm.
5. The blood flow simulator of claim 1 , wherein the pressure waveform generator comprises:
a pressure bladder configured to hold gas;
an amplifier for amplifying data from at least one of the plurality of pressure waveform files to generate an amplified data signal; and
a pressure inducer configured to compress the pressure bladder in response to the amplified data signal to generate the pressure waveform in the gas.
6. The blood flow simulator of claim 5 , wherein the pressure waveform generator further comprises:
at least one actuator configured to exert pressure on the pressure inducer in response to the amplified data signal.
7. The blood flow simulator of claim 6 , wherein the at least one actuator includes at least one of: a piezoelectric actuator or an electromagnetic actuator.
8. The blood flow simulator of claim 1 , further comprising:
an injection valve configured for injecting a target substance into the fluid to obtain a known concentration of the target substance in the fluid.
9. The blood flow simulator of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more pressure sensors configured to measure a pressure in the fluid and generate a feedback signal to the system controller.
10. The blood flow simulator of claim 9 , wherein the system controller further includes:
a signal processor configured to receive the feedback signal from the one or more pressure sensors and generate a pre-distortion signal for a distortion compensation filter to obtain a data signal from the at least one of the pressure waveform files.
11. A method for simulating blood flow in a vessel, comprising:
processing by a system controller a selection of one of a plurality of pressure waveform files stored in a memory;
generating by a pressure waveform generator a pressure waveform in gas in an acoustic induction bladder using the selected one of the plurality of pressure waveform files; and
inducing by an optical bladder the pressure waveform in fluid within an optical window test bed in the optical bladder; and
exerting pressure by an induction coupler onto the optical bladder in response to the pressure waveform in the gas, wherein the induction coupler is situated between the acoustic induction bladder and the optical bladder.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical window test bed comprises a material with elasticity and optical properties similar to human tissue.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of pressure waveform files includes data from at least one of: a heart rate, a heartbeat waveform, an arterial blood pressure waveform, a respiration waveform, a background tissue response waveform, or a venous blood pressure waveform.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of pressure waveform files includes data indicative of arrhythmia, including at least one of: an accelerated heartrate, a low heart rate, or an irregular cardiac rhythm.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
amplifying data by an amplifier from the selected one of the plurality of pressure waveform files to generate an amplified data signal; and
compressing a pressure bladder using a pressure inducer in response to the amplified data signal to generate the pressure waveform in gas within the pressure bladder.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
exerting pressure by at least one actuator on the pressure inducer in response to the amplified data signal.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one actuator includes at least one of: a piezoelectric actuator or an electromagnetic actuator.
18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
injecting a target substance into the fluid to obtain a known concentration of the target substance in the fluid.
19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting a pressure in the fluid and generating a feedback signal to the system controller;
generating a pre-distortion signal for a distortion compensation filter to filter a data signal from the selected one of the pressure waveform files; and
generating by the pressure waveform generator the pressure waveform using the filtered data signal.