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Spatio-temporal Flow Analysis in Bileaflet Heart Valve Hinge Regions: Potential Analysis for Blood Element Damage

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Abstract

Point-wise velocity measurements have been traditionally acquired to estimate blood damage potential induced by prosthetic heart valves with emphasis on peak values of velocity magnitude and Reynolds stresses. However, the inherently Lagrangian nature of platelet activation and hemolysis makes such measurements of limited predictive value. This study provides a refined fluid mechanical analysis, including blood element paths and stress exposure times, of the hinge flows of a CarboMedics bileaflet mechanical heart valve placed under both mitral and aortic conditions and a St Jude Medical bileaflet valve placed under aortic conditions. The hinge area was partitioned into characteristic regions based on dominant flow structures and spatio-temporal averaging was performed on the measured velocities and Reynolds shear stresses to estimate the average bulk stresses acting on blood elements transiting through the hinge. A first-order estimate of viscous stress levels and exposure times were computed. Both forward and leakage flow phases were characterized in each partition by dynamic flows dependent on subtle leaflet movements and transvalvular pressure fluctuations. Blood elements trapped in recirculation regions may experience exposure times as long as the entire forward flow phase duration. Most calculated stresses were below the accepted blood damage threshold. Estimates of the stress levels indicate that the flow conditions within the boundary layers near the hinge and leaflet walls may be more detrimental to blood cells than bulk flow conditions, while recirculation regions may promote thrombus buildup.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (RO1-HL-07262) and from Tom and Shirley Gurley.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Hélène A. Simon & Ajit P. Yoganathan

  2. Wallace H. Coulter School of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0535, USA

    Lakshmi P. Dasi, Hwa-Liang Leo & Ajit P. Yoganathan

  3. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Hwa-Liang Leo & Ajit P. Yoganathan

Authors
  1. Hélène A. Simon
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  2. Lakshmi P. Dasi
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  3. Hwa-Liang Leo
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  4. Ajit P. Yoganathan
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Correspondence to Ajit P. Yoganathan.

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Simon, H.A., Dasi, L.P., Leo, HL. et al. Spatio-temporal Flow Analysis in Bileaflet Heart Valve Hinge Regions: Potential Analysis for Blood Element Damage. Ann Biomed Eng 35, 1333–1346 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-007-9302-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-007-9302-1

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