ON THE INTERACTION OF NATURAL AND MECHANICHAL HEART VALVE LEAFLETS WITH THE CHORDAE TENDINEAE

摘要

In order to investigate the effect of chordal preservation on the mitral jet, high frequency plane velocity measurements were obtained distal to a bi-leaflet MHV, a porcine MV, and a combination of both aforementioned valves using DPIV. Instantaneous and time-averaged flow properties were presented providing valuable information about mitral jet development. Animation of the entire sequence offers an even greater wealth of information. It appears that the biological valve jet is the most contained, generating the least spreading and preserving its momentum. The combination of the two, simulating a prosthesis that preserves the diseased leaflets and chordae, also involves less spreading than the MHV alone. These results suggest that chordal preservation aids in directing and sustaining the momentum of the mitral jet.