Fluid structure interaction of flexible heart valves

Using discrete Lagrangian dynamics and the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations the coupled motion of leaflet motion and aortic blood flow is presented. Coupling of the leaflet motion/blood flow is achieved by matching the unsteady pressure condition at the time-step level via an inviscid solver. The resulting leaflet motion is used as a boundary condition in the fully viscous flow solver. Using the models, profiles of the leaflet through the opening and closing phase are obtained together with associated pressure and velocity profiles plots. In addition, bending stress values along the leaflet surface are computed using thin shell bending theory