Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026
In vitro Assessment of Aortic Regurgitation Using Four-Dimensional Flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: February 25, 2022
In vitro characterization of an aortic bioprosthetic valve using Doppler echocardiography and qualitative flow
Kiran Dellimore1, Iain Kemp, Reynaldo Rodriguez
1Biomedical Engineering Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
Abstract:
A 19 mm diameter prototype bioprosthetic valve mounted in a cardiac pulse duplicator was characterized using Doppler echocardiography and qualitative flow visualization at a heart rate of 72 bpm. Analysis of the flow visualization images revealed that the prototype and control valve leaflets open symmetrically but close asymmetrically. The asymmetry in the closing of the valves is likely due to the large pressure gradients across the valves and may have implications for the long term mechanical failure of the valves. The relatively high peak systolic velocity of 309.9 cm/s, which was measured in the prototype 19 mm valve, can be attributed to the small valve diameter and the high cardiac output used in the current study.
