Several bi-leaflet prostheses (the St. Jude Medical(SJM) valve etc.) were tested in the mitral position under pulsatile-flow condition. Dynamic PIV system was employed to analyze the flow field affected by the leaflet shapes and valve designs. Scanning PIV was developed to measure the three-dimensional flow inside the ventricular. The pulsed Nd:YLF laser was scanned by a polygon mirror in other to provide several light sheets inside ventricular. Detailed chronological comparison of the flow fields associated with the opening, accelerating, peak and closing phase of the flow revealed the significance of the leaflet and overall valve designs on the flow field. The Scanning PIV system was applied successfully to the study of the three-dimensional flow field.
