Abstract

Red blood cell damage (hemolysis) and thromboemblism are the main complications associated to the implantation of mechanical artificial heart valves.

In the last decades a great number of in vitro studies have been conducted to improve the design and to understand the transvalvular flow patterns under steady state and pulsatile conditions. Steady state tests are useful to study the flow established upstream and downstream the valve prosthesis in the moment of the peak flow rate.

In the present study, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique was employed to visualise the flow patterns in a precommercial model of bi-leaflet mechanical heart valve prosthesis in a steady state flow. PIV technique and a convenient test rig have provided good conditions to investigate the whole flowfield upstream and downstream the valve.

© 2001 OSA/SPIE