Magnetically levitated motor for newborn and child heart‑lung support devices
Bearingless flux reversal motor for neonatal and pediatric extracorporeal life support applications
This project builds a smaller, gentler magnetic motor to power heart‑and‑lung support machines for newborns and young children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ension, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Butler, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11261620 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your baby or child needs temporary heart or lung support, this project aims to make the machines that do that smaller and kinder to blood by using a magnetically levitated motor that avoids rubbing parts. The team is designing a compact bearingless flux‑reversal motor and integrating it into an advanced compact ECLS (ACE) system with pediatric‑focused components and control software. Work will include lab testing, device optimization, and animal studies before any human use. The goal is lower blood damage, fewer mechanical failures, simplified controls, and lower disposable costs compared with current scaled‑down adult pumps.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be newborns and children who require temporary mechanical circulatory or cardiopulmonary support due to severe heart or lung failure.
Not a fit: People who do not need mechanical heart or lung support, or adults when a pediatric‑specific system is not indicated, would not benefit from this device.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could make extracorporeal heart‑and‑lung support for newborns and children safer, longer‑lasting, and less expensive.
How similar studies have performed: Magnetically levitated blood pumps exist for adults and a scaled‑down PediMag has been used clinically, but a purpose‑built pediatric bearingless flux‑reversal motor is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Butler, United States
- Ension, INC. — Butler, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cahalan, Patrick Thomas — Ension, INC.
- Study coordinator: Cahalan, Patrick Thomas
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.