Browsing by Author "Pierrakos, Olga"
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- Hemodynamic Flow Characterization of St. Jude Medical Bileaflet Mechanical and Bioprosthetic Heart Valve Prostheses in a Left Ventricular Model via Digital Particle Image VelocimetryPierrakos, Olga (Virginia Tech, 2002-11-15)The performance of the heart after a valve replacement operation will greatly depend on the flow character downstream the mitral valve thus a better understanding of the flow character is essential. Most in vitro studies of the flow downstream of a MHV have been conducted with the valve in the aortic position. Researchers reported detailed measurements most of which were obtained by Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) in rigid models of the aorta. Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV) has also been utilized to reveal intricate patterns of interacting shed vortices downstream of the aortic valve. The orientation of the valves may considerably affect the flow development and slight difference may produce significant differences in the ventricular flow fields. Two orientations, respectively anatomical and anti-anatomical, of the St. Jude Medical (SJM) bileaflet valve are presented and compared with the SJM Biocor porcine valve, which served to more closely represent the natural valve. In this effort, we employ a powerful tool to monitor the velocity field in a flexible, transparent LV and study the evolution of large eddies and turbulence through a complete cardiovascular cycle. Both time average and instantaneous results of velocity, vorticity, and turbulent kinetic energy distributions are presented. The presence and location of vortical structures were deduced as well as the level of coherence of these structures. The presence of three distinct flow patterns were identified, by the location of vortical structures and level of coherence, for the three configurations corresponding to significant differences in the turbulence level distribution inside the LV.
- Vortex Dynamics and Energetics in Left Ventricular FlowsPierrakos, Olga (Virginia Tech, 2006-04-18)Left ventricular flows in the human heart are very complex and in the presence of a diseased condition, such as unhealthy or prosthetic heart valves, the complexity of the flow is further increased. The intricacy of the heart geometry combined with the pulsatile character of the flow, the interaction of high-speed jets with the flexible walls, and the unsteady motion of the heart valve leaflets generate inherently complicated flow fields. It is therefore essential that we study and understand the complex cardiac energetics and physics of blood flow in both healthy and diseased hearts. Although artificial heart valves, mechanical and biological, have evolved to a level of universal acceptance, they have never reached a level of performance comparable to that of the natural valves of the heart. Many of the problems are directly related to the fluid mechanics. Considering that mechanical heart valves (MHV) are more commonly implanted because of their durability, it is imperative to better understand their hemodynamic behavior. Yet to date, no study has documented in depth the complex hemodynamic characteristics of left ventricular flows and assessed the intricate structures that are generated in the left ventricle (LV) due to vortex formation (roll-up of shear layers shed past the valve leaflets), turbulence characteristics, and energetics. The flow through pivoted leaflets of MHVs induces a combination of flow characteristics that are dependent on the specific valve design and orientation. The aim of the present study is to provide new insight into the spatio-temporal dynamics of the flow distal to a mitral MHV by employing a state-of-the-art, high resolution, flow diagnostic method, Time Resolved Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (TRDPIV) in a flexible, transparent LV documenting the evolution of eddies and turbulence during a complete period of the heart cycle. The broad impact of the proposed research extends beyond the hemodynamics of heart valve prosthesis. The research herein will enable the development of a tool for application in all cardiac energetic studies (unhealthy valves, tissue engineered valves, cardiac remodeling stages, and even congestive heart failure) and aid in better diagnosis of the efficiency and performance of the heart. The last component of the dissertation involved the translation of my dissertation research into an engineering educational tool for undergraduate engineering students.