•  
  •  
 

Abstract

An optimal design for a polyurethane (PU) aortic valve was developed in a previous study. The current study investigated an approach for manufacturing PU aortic valves, evaluating the effective orifice areas (EOAs) of the prototypes. Two manufacturing approaches, assembly and single-piece forming methods, were developed. In the assembly method, support frames and valve leaflets were manufactured separately and then glued together by using an adhesive substance. By contrast, in the single-piece forming method, two main components of the valve were fabricated simultaneously by using a molding technique. This study established an experimental loop that mimics natural circulation from the left ventricle through the aortic valve to the aorta to observe the opening and closing behaviors of the valve. In addition, a testing loop was developed for measuring the EOAs of the manufactured valves. The approach developed in this study can be a procedure for efficiently developing a quick fabrication and testing method for PU heart valves, thereby reducing the cost of fabricating these devices in the future.

Download
COinS