Key result
In silico finite element analysis parameters of geometric orifice area and leaflet coaptation area strongly correlated with in vitro effective orifice area (r2=0.84) and regurgitant fraction (r2=0.68).
Why the study?
Valve design relies on extensive in vitro testing, but few studies have explored using Finite Element Analysis to predict critical hydrodynamic performance characteristics.
Finite element analysis can accurately predict the in vitro hydrodynamic performance of aortic valve implants, potentially streamlining the design process and reducing trial-and-error prototyping.
The competing structural and hemodynamic considerations in valve design generally require a large amount of in vitro hydrodynamic and durability testing during development, often resulting in inefficient “trial-and-error” prototyping. While in silico modelling through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has been widely used to inform valve design by optimizing structural performance, few studies have exploited the potential insight FEA could provide into critical hemodynamic performance characteristics of the valve. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the potential of FEA to predict the hydrodynamic performance of aortic valve implants obtained during development through in vitro testing. Several variations of surgical tri-leaflet aortic valves were de-signed and manufactured using a synthetic polymer and hydrodynamic testing carried out using a pulsatile flow rig according to ISO 5840, with bulk hydro-dynamic parameters measured. In silico models were developed in tandem and suitable surrogate measures were investigated as predictors of the hydro-dynamic parameters. Through regression analysis, the in silico parameters of leaflet coaptation area, geometric orifice area and opening pressure were found to be suitable indicators of experimental in vitro hydrodynamic param-eters: regurgitant fraction, effective orifice area and transvalvular pressure drop performance, respectively.
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Whiting et al. (2021) studied Aortic valve replacement design (n=3). In silico finite element analysis (FEA) vs. In vitro hydrodynamic testing was evaluated on Correlation between in silico surrogate measures and in vitro hydrodynamic parameters (r2 = 0.84). In silico finite element analysis parameters of geometric orifice area and leaflet coaptation area strongly correlated with in vitro effective orifice area (r2=0.84) and regurgitant fraction (r2=0.68).
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