In-vitro steady and pulsatile flow visualization of the normal mitral valve

The role and importance of critical parameters, such as cardiac output, ventricular pressure, and papillary muscle position, on mitral valve behaviour and on the development of the ventricular flow field are studied. Steady and pulsatile flow visualization experiments demonstrate that the main factor which affects the ventricular function is the papillary muscle position. By controlling regurgitation, it can change the cardiac output, as well as the ventricular pressure. A qualitative agreement is found between a color Doppler ultrasound flow field and those obtained by flow visualization