Abstract
Our group is currently developing a pneumatic ventricular assist device (PVAD). In order to select the optimal bileaflet valve for our PVAD, in the current study we investigated the evolution of the flow field in a detailed time domain of three kinds of commercial bileaflet valves in our PVAD by means of the 2D particle image velocimetry method. To carry out flow visualization inside the blood pump and near the valve, we designed a model pump with the same configuration as our PVAD. Three kinds of bileaflet valves, the ATS valve, St. Jude valve and Sorin valve were mounted at the aortic position of the model pump and the flow was visualized by the PIV method. The maximum flow-velocity and Reynolds shear stress of the Sorin valve were less than those of the other two bileaflet valves. The Sorin valve has low Reynolds shear stress, and is considered the best valve for our PVAD among the three valves tested.
