Abstract
An experimental apparatus simulating the velocity field downstream of an artificial heart valve in a model of the left ventricle was developed. In particular, the cardiac cycle was reproduced by a linear motor such that both healthy and unhealthy conditions could be reproduced. In this study, a one-way, hydraulic valve has been inserted in a mitralic orifice and a strong, uniform-velocity jet which enters the ventricle is generated. This condition is very similar to the inflow generated by the natural valve. To measure the velocity field the working fluid was seeded with tracer particles and the test section, the middle plane of the ventricle model, was lit by a laser light sheet. A long time image sequence of the flow field was acquired by a high-speed camera. The Feature Tracking image analysis technique was used to quantify particle displacements and as a result a Lagrangian description of the fluid trajectories were obtained. The evolution of particle trajectories and the velocity fields during the whole cardiac cycle is presented here. The Eulerian velocity field were also evaluated to characterize the flow. Finally, the viscous shear stresses were analyzed, in order to compute the quantities that are considered to be the main cause of the blood cells damage.
Graphical Abstract
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alemu Y, Bluestein D (2007) Flow-induced platelet activation and damage accumulation in a mechanical heart valve: numerical studies. Artif Organs 31(9):677–688
Cenedese A, Del Prete Z, Miozzi M, Querzoli G (2005) A laboratory investigation of the flow in the left ventricle of a human heart with prosthetic, tilting-disk valves. Exp Fluids 39:322–335
Espa S, Badas MG, Fortini S, Querzoli G, Cenedese A (2012) A Lagrangian investigation of the flow inside the left ventricle. Eur J Mech B Fluids 35:9–19
Garcia MJ, Vandervoort P, Stewart WJ, Lytle BW, Cosgrove DM, Thomas JD, Griffin BP (1996) Mechanisms of hemolysis with mitral prosthetic regurgitation study using transesophageal echocardiography and fluid dynamic simulation. J Am Coll Cardiol 27:399
Grigioni M, Daniele C, D’Avenio G, Barbaro V (1999) A discussion on the threshold limit for hemolysis related to Reynolds shear stress”. J Biomech 32:1107
Grigioni M, Daniele C, D’Avenio G, Barbaro V (2002) Evaluation of the surface-averaged load exerted on a blood element by the Reynolds shear stress field provided by artificial cardiovascular devices. J Biomech 35:1613–1622
Ismeno G, Renzulli A, Carozza A, De Feo M, Iannuzzi M, Sante P, Cotrufo M (1999) Intravascular hemolysis after mitral and aortic valve replacement with different types of mechanical prostheses. Int J Cardiol 69:179
Kilner PJ, Yang G-Z, Wilkes AJ, Mohladin RH, Firmin DN, Yacoub MH (2000) Asymmetric redirection of flow through the heart. Nature 404:759–761
Kitajima H, Yoganathan A P (2005) Blood flow—the basics of the discipline. In: Fogel MA (ed) ventricular function and blood flow in congenital heart disease, Chap 3 Blackwell Futura, Massachusetts, USA, pp 38–41
Pedrizzetti G, Domenichini F (2005) Nature optimizes the swirling flow in the human left ventricle. Phys Rev Lett 95(10):108101
Querzoli G, Fortini S, Cenedese A (2010) Effect of the prosthetic mitral valve on vortex dynamics and turbulence of the left ventricular flow. Phys Fluids 22:041901
Reul H, Talukder N, Muller W (1981) Fluid mechanics of the natural mitral valve. J Biomech 14:361–372
Rodgers BM, Sabitson DC (1969) Hemolytic anemia following prosthetic valve replacement. Circulation 39:155–161
Song S M, Leahy R M, Boyd D P, Brundage B H, Napel S (1994) Determining cardiac velocity fields and intraventricular pressure distribution from a sequence of Ultrafast CT Cardiac Images. IEEE Transaction on Medical Imaging (13)2
Vukicevic M, Fortini S, Querzoli G, Espa S, Pedrizzetti G (2012) Experimental study of an asymmetric heart valve prototype. Eur J Mech B Fluids 35:54–60
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Espa, S., Fortini, S., Querzoli, G. et al. Flow field evolution in a laboratory model of the left ventricle. J Vis 16, 323–330 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12650-013-0179-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12650-013-0179-9