Mean velocities and Reynolds stresses within regurgitant jets produced by tilting disc valves

Fluid velocities were measured with a two-component laser Doppler anemometry system in the regurgitant jet regions of Bjork-Shiley Delrin monostrut tilting disc valves mounted within a Plexiglas model of the 70 cm3 Penn State electric left ventricular assist device. At each measurement location, 250 instantaneous velocity realizations were collected at times when regurgitation through the valves occurred. The maximum Reynolds shear and normal stresses were calculated after filtering the data. Results show that Reynolds shear and normal stresses proximal to the mitral valve were elevated to magnitudes of 9,000 dynes/cm2 and 20,000 dynes/cm2, respectively. The peak Reynolds stresses near the mitral valve occurred during early systole, when regurgitant jet velocities reached magnitudes as high as 440 cm/sec. The Reynolds shear and normal stresses proximal to the aortic valve reached magnitudes of 9,900 dynes/cm2 and 20,500 dynes/cm2, respectively. The peak Reynolds stresses near the aortic valve occurred during early diastole, when regurgitant jet velocities were as high as 280 cm/sec. These high Reynolds stresses created by turbulent regurgitant flow have the potential to cause significant blood damage.