A review of polymeric heart valves leaflet geometric configuration and structural optimization

Valvular heart disease (VHD) is a major cause of loss of physical function, quality of life and longevity, and its prevalence is growing worldwide due to increased survival rates and an aging population. The most common treatment for VHD is surgical heart valve replacement with mechanical heart valves (MHVs) and bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs), but with different limitations. Polymeric heart valves (PHVs) exhibit promising material properties, valve dynamics and biocompatibility, representing the most feasible alternative to existing artificial heart valves. However, inadequate fatigue performance remains a critical obstacle to their clinical translation. In this case, geometry and material design are essential to obtain the best mechanical properties of the PHV. In this study, we summarized the effects of optimal design of PHVs from geometrical configuration optimization (valve height, thickness and design curve) and structural material optimization (anisotropy, fiber reinforcement, variable thickness, microstructure and asymmetric optimization), and selected the parameters including Effective Orifice Area (EOA), Regurgitant fraction (RF), and Stress Distribution to compare the performance of valves. It would provide the theoretical support for the optimal design of PHVs.