Why the study?
Do different types of prosthetic heart valves generate different closing sound intensities and spectral compositions in an in vitro model?
Do different types of prosthetic heart valves generate different closing sound intensities and spectral compositions in an in vitro model?
In an in vitro model, bileaflet mechanical valves and biological/polymer valves produce less closing noise compared to tilting disc valves.
May inform prosthetic valve selection to reduce noise; leaves open whether differences affect patient outcomes or quality of life.
Patients with an implanted mechanical heart valve sometimes experience the closing sounds of the valve as disturbing. To study the generation of valve sounds in general, a pulse duplicator study was carried out, testing eight commonly used types of prosthetic valves in the aortic position. Pulse rate was set at 70 beats/min, stroke volume at 70 ml and mean 'aortic' pressure at 100 mmHg. Despite the controlled conditions, there was great variability of the closing sound, in both intensity and spectral composition, making noise comparisons and spectral characterization ('sonoprint') difficult. In general, bileaflet mechanical valves produced less noise than did tilting disc valves, particularly those with large opening angles. One small-size (23 mm) tilting disc valve produced 50% less noise than large types. The plastic ball valve, the porcine and the polyurethane trileaflet valve all were very quiet.
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Thulin et al. (1989) studied this question.
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