In vitro assessment of the flow characteristics of the central-axis prosthetic heart valve

A new mechanical prosthetic heart valve is presented: the central-axis valve. This device was tested in vitro and compared with four other common prosthetic cardiac valves. All valves studied have the same inner orifice diameter of 22 mm. The prostheses were installed inside a transparent mitral test chamber that permits pressure-drop measurements and other flow characteristics under steady flow conditions using a blood analog fluid. The tested valves were: (a) Starr-Edwards 6120 valve, (b) Bjork-Shiley monostrut valve, (c) Medtronic-Hall valve, (d) Saint Jude Medical valve, and (e) central-axis valve. Initial tests under pulsatile flow conditions demonstrated that the new valve prototype is reliable and functions well