Flutter Measurement in Prosthetic Biological Cardiac Valves
Artur Henrique de Freitas Avelar1; Letícia Fausto Macedo1; Maíra Gabriela Martins Silva1; Rudolf Huebner1; Marcos Pinotti Barbosa1
1 Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
doi:10.20906/CPS/COB-2015-2174
Resumo
Prosthetic heart valves had their projects improved over time, however an ideal valve that unites the advantages of long lifespan and no danger of calcifying or clotting is inexistent. The use of porcine or bovine pericardium biological valves has as main disadvantage a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, failing by calcification and fatigue, being a great challenge to increase this usage time. A not so much studied phenomenon is the effect of flutter, which is an oscillation of the leaflets that can cause regurgitation and accelerate calcification and fatigue. As a first step to study how to reduce the oscillations, a method was developeded to quantify the frequencies of the flutter occurring at the time of full opening of the valve. In a testing bench that simulates the cardiac flow, the behavior of the leaflets was shot with a high-speed camera. With a motion capture software, it was possible to obtain the trajectory of each leaflet and its frequencies and amplitudes of the oscillations. This response is an important start to create a method for modifying geometric and material parameters to further reduce oscillations, improving hemodynamics and increasing the useful life of the valve.
Palavras-chave: cardiovascular engineering; prosthetic cardiac valves; flutter; bioengineering