A general model to study the dynamics of prosthetic heart valves

This paper presents development of comprehensive dynamic model which relates prosthetic heart valve motion to the fluid flows and pressures in the vicinity of the valve. The forces on the occluder disk were computed using a momentum balance approach with a time-varying control volume. Unlike previous valve models, this model was formulated in such a way that it can be integrated into larger simulations which incorporate adjacent structures, either natural or artificial. The valve model was used to build a larger model of an electric ventricular assist device (EVAD) and a simple circulatory system. Simulation results indicate that the model faithfully represents and predicts many of the phenomena which have been measured in vitro. Variables such as ventricular pressure, occluder velocity and regurgitant flow compare favorably to experimental data