Spallation of Small Particles From Peristaltic Pump Tube Segments

• DOI: 10.1111/aor.12815
• Publication Date: 2016-10-14T01:24:31Z
• Authors: Yi Liu; Monica Faria; Edward Leonard
• Keywords: Peristaltic pump; Peristalsis

In most extracorporeal filtration devices such as hemodialysis a peristaltic pump is used to circulate blood. Pump function requires the repeated compression of an elastomeric tube from which particles may be shed into circulatory system, process called spallation. Earlier studies are likely have missed large number small (<2 µm in diameter) that appear. The present study uses more modern equipment detects and sizes down 0.6 µm. As polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubing commonly for this process, series was conducted on three different types its spallation characteristics, along with co-extruded PVC/polyurethane known enhanced biocompatibility properties. For all PVC tubes, average size spallated 0.83 ± 0.03 µm; approximately twice reported tubing. tubes equal inner diameter, those less plasticizer released fewer particles; same Shore hardness, larger internal diameters particles. It also shown operating at slower flow rate does not reduce total per volume pumped. 10 times lower than lowest spallating