Flow diffuser characteristics of St. Jude heart valve prosthesis: Doppler and catheter transvalvular gradient measurements

Neil L. Greenberg*, Pieter M. Vandervoort, James D. Thomas

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

The flow diffuser characteristics of the St. Jude heart valve were investigated and compared to theoretical calculations based on the two dimensional geometry of the valve. Pressure recovery (Cp) and loss (K) coefficients were calculated for varying sized prostheses in both mitral and aortic valve configurations over a range of steady flow rates. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the pressure recovery (Cp=0.36±0.04) and loss (K=0.64±0.04) coefficients for flow through the central orifice were independent of the valve sizes and configurations examined. Comparison of ideal and experimentally determined pressure recovery coefficients yielded diffuser effectiveness (η=0.62). We applied these flow diffuser characteristics to investigate the discrepancies between Doppler and catheter gradients across prosthetic St. Jude bileaflet valves. Transvalvular Doppler gradients can be reconciled with catheter measurements by multiplying the Doppler gradient by the pressure loss coefficient (K=0.64) (r=0.99, y=1.11×-0.19).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAdvances in Bioengineering
PublisherASME
Pages303-304
Number of pages2
Volume28
StatePublished - Dec 1 1994
EventProceedings of the 1994 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition - Chicago, IL, USA
Duration: Nov 6 1994Nov 11 1994

Other

OtherProceedings of the 1994 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition
CityChicago, IL, USA
Period11/6/9411/11/94

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Flow diffuser characteristics of St. Jude heart valve prosthesis: Doppler and catheter transvalvular gradient measurements'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this