Computational Fluid Dynamics and Digital Particle Image Velocimetry Study of the Flow Through an Optimized Micro-axial Blood Pump

: A detailed knowledge of the flow field in a blood pump is indispensable in order to increase the efficiency of the pump and to reduce the shear‐induced hemolysis. Thus, three different impeller designs were developed and tested by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV). The results show a good agreement of CFD and DPIV data. An optimization of the impeller could be achieved by following the concept of turbulent drag reduction for the axisymmetric center body.