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A correlation between long-term in vitro dynamic calcification and abnormal flow patterns past bioprosthetic heart valves

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Abstract

In this paper, a long-term in vitro dynamic calcification of three porcine aortic heart valves was investigated using a combined approach that involved accelerated wear testing of the valves in the rapid calcification solution, hydrodynamic assessment of the progressive change of effective orifice area (EOA) along with the transaortic pressure gradient, and quantitative visualization of the flow. The motivation for this study was developing a standardized, economical, and feasible in vitro testing methodology for bioprosthetic heart valve calcification, which would address both the hydrodynamic performance of the valves as well as the subsequent changes in the flow field. The results revealed the failure of the test valves at 40 million cycles mark, associated with the critical decrease in the EOA, followed by the increase in the maximum value of viscous shear stress of up to 52%, compared to the values measured at the beginning of the study. The decrease in the EOA was subsequently followed by the rapid increase in the maximum streamwise velocity of the central orifice jet up to the value of about 2.8 m/s, compared to the initial value of 2 m/s, and to the value of 2.2 m/s in the case of a control valve along with progressive narrowing of the velocity profile for two test valves. The significance of the current work is in demonstrating a correlation between calcification of the aortic valve and spatial as well as the temporal development of abnormal flow features.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge financial support of MITACS Canada under an Accelerate grant (Ref. IT03817) and thank ViVitro Labs Inc. for providing access to their facility and equipment for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 Stn. CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada

    Oleksandr Barannyk & Peter Oshkai

  2. ViVitro Labs Inc., 455 Boleskine Rd, Victoria, BC, V8Z 1E7, Canada

    Robert Fraser

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  1. Oleksandr Barannyk
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Correspondence to Oleksandr Barannyk.

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Oleksandr Barannyk has been a postdoctoral fellow at ViVitro Labs Inc. under MITACS Accelerate research grants. Robert Fraser is an employee of the ViVitro Labs Inc.

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Barannyk, O., Fraser, R. & Oshkai, P. A correlation between long-term in vitro dynamic calcification and abnormal flow patterns past bioprosthetic heart valves. J Biol Phys 43, 279–296 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-017-9452-9

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