Development of prosthetic aortic heart valves

Investigates various new prototypes of aortic valves. The fabricated valve prototypes were then tested by various hydrodynamic and hemocompatibility tests. The various prototype values designed and fabricated were: (1) a bileaflet valve, (2) a conical poppet valve, (3) a disc poppet valve, and (4) a fluidic nozzle valve. These valves were tested for percentage regurgitation across them, for pressure drop in steady flow, for flow visualization in steady and pulsatile flows, and for hemocompatibility. The poppet valves had a low percentage of regurgitation, and at higher heart rates the fluidic nozzle diode was very competent. The study and results serve, at best, as guidelines for future research work in the field. The fluidic nozzle diode, by its very form, appears very promising in the mitral area