ResearchSouth is proposing research and development of new biocomputing technology that will enable automated CFD-based design optimizing of biomedical devices. The proposed project will develop innovative software that combines the best technologies available in aerospace optimization with those in cardiovascular device development. Preliminary work by the offerors has demonstrated the effectiveness of such a design approach when applied to new and existing rotary cardiac- assist devices. We anticipate this project to provide a rational basis for analyzing and optimizing biomedical devices with respect to blood hemolysis and thrombosis. In Phase I, we will use automated shape optimization to minimize blood hemolysis in a hemodialysis connector and experimentally validate the results, and we will begin the design and development of next-generation CFD-based design optimization software. In Phase II, a user-friendly commercial-quality software package specifically customized for design and analysis of blood- carrying devices will be implemented.
The potential users of this design software include any individual, group, or company engaged in biomedical device development. Our software will be the first commercial product to incorporate practical blood damage models for biomedical device analysis and design applications. The majority of the design optimization software tools developed in this project will find immediate application in the aerospace, automotive, and turbomachinery fields.
