An integrated visualization and design toolkit for flexible prosthetic heart valves

We describe a toolkit for the design and visualization of flexible artificial heart valves. The toolkit consists of interlinked modules with a visual programming interface. The user of the toolkit can set the initial geometry and material properties of the valve leaflet, solve for the flexing of the leaflet and the flow of blood around it, and display the results using the visualization capabilities of the toolkit. The interactive nature of our environment is highlighted by the fact that changes in leaflet properties are immediately reflected in the flow field and response of the leaflet. Hence the user may, in a single session, investigate a broad range of designs, each one of which provides important information about the blood flow and motion of the valve during the cardiac cycle.