Numerical estimation of heat distribution from the implantable battery system of an undulation pump LVAD.

We have been developing an implantable battery system using three series-connected lithium ion batteries having an energy capacity of 1,800 mAh to drive an undulation pump left ventricular assist device. However, the lithium ion battery undergoes an exothermic reaction during the discharge phase, and the temperature rise of the lithium ion battery is a critical issue for implantation usage. Heat generation in the lithium ion battery depends on the intensity of the discharge current, and we obtained a relationship between the heat flow from the lithium ion battery q(c)(I) and the intensity of the discharge current I as q(c)(I) = 0.63 x I (W) in in vitro experiments. The temperature distribution of the implantable battery system was estimated by means of three-dimentional finite-element method (FEM) heat transfer analysis using the heat flow function q(c)(I), and we also measured the temperature rise of the implantable battery system in in vitro experiments to conduct verification of the estimation. The maximum temperatures of the lithium ion battery and the implantable battery case were measured as 52.2 degrees C and 41.1 degrees C, respectively. The estimated result of temperature distribution of the implantable battery system agreed well with the measured results using thermography. In conclusion, FEM heat transfer analysis is promising as a tool to estimate the temperature of the implantable lithium ion battery system under any pump current without the need for animal experiments, and it is a convenient tool for optimization of heat transfer characteristics of the implantable battery system.