This review highlights state-of-the-art experimental and computational techniques for evaluating the fluid dynamics and performance of prosthetic heart valves to improve design and reduce clinical complications.
May guide prosthetic valve design refinements; leaves open prospective clinical validation of reduced complications.
Prosthetic heart valves (PHVs) are engineered devices used for replacing diseased natural cardiac valves. This article presents several investigational techniques for the evaluation of the performance of these clinical devices, whose implantation is not completely free of drawbacks. The state-of-the-art in the technological approach for PHV testing is addressed. As the fluid dynamics of PHVs are particularly complex, the main focus will be on experimental velocimetric techniques and computational analysis. A methodology for the analysis of the valve's signature, in terms of its characteristic sound in the opening and closing phases, is also presented. The aforementioned techniques are necessary to guarantee an operational life of the implanted device as free as possible from clinical complications. It can be realistically expected that this characterization will help designers in improving PHV performance.
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Grigioni et al. (2004) studied this question.
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