Heart disease is attributed as the highest cause of death in the world. Although this could be alleviated by heart transplantation, there is a chronic shortage of donor hearts and so mechanical solutions are being considered. Currently, many Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) are being developed worldwide in an effort to increase life expectancy and quality of life for end stage heart failure patients. Current pre-clinical testing methods for VADs involve laboratory testing using Mock Circulation Loops (MCLs), and in vivo testing in animal models. The research and development of highly accurate MCLs is vital to the continuous improvement of VAD performance. The first objective of this study was to develop and validate a mathematical model of a MCL. This model could then be used in the design and construction of a variable compliance chamber to improve the performance of an existing MCL as well as form the basis for a new miniaturised MCL. An extensive review of literature was carried out on MCLs and mathematical modelling of their function. A mathematical model of a MCL was then created in the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. This model included variable features such as resistance, fluid inertia and volumes (resulting from the pipe lengths and diameters); compliance of Windkessel chambers, atria and ventricles; density of both fluid and compressed air applied to the system; gravitational effects on vertical columns of fluid; and accurately modelled actuators controlling the ventricle contraction. This model was then validated using the physical properties and pressure and flow traces produced from a previously developed MCL. A variable compliance chamber was designed to reproduce parameters determined by the mathematical model. The function of the variability was achieved by controlling the transmural pressure across a diaphragm to alter the compliance of the system. An initial prototype was tested in a previously developed MCL, and a variable level of arterial compliance was successfully produced; however, the complete range of compliance values required for accurate physiological representation was not able to be produced with this initial design. The mathematical model was then used to design a smaller physical mock circulation loop, with the tubing sizes adjusted to produce accurate pressure and flow traces whilst having an appropriate frequency response characteristic. The development of the mathematical model greatly assisted the general design of an in vitro cardiovascular device test rig, while the variable compliance chamber allowed simple and real-time manipulation of MCL compliance to allow accurate transition between a variety of physiological conditions. The newly developed MCL produced an accurate design of a mechanical representation of the human circulatory system for in vitro cardiovascular device testing and education purposes. The continued improvement of VAD test rigs is essential if VAD design is to improve, and hence improve quality of life and life expectancy for heart failure patients.

En France, 460000 nourrissons âgés d’un moins à deux ans, sont affectés par la bronchiolite aiguë chaque hiver. Cette infection virale, qui a pour conséquence une inflammation des voies respiratoires, est généralement traitée par des séances de kinésithérapie respiratoire (KR). Afin d’améliorer l’apprentissage des techniques de KR pédiatriques, un simulateur, représentatif d’un nourrisson de six mois présentant un encombrement moyen, a été réalisé au laboratoire SYMME. Ce premier simulateur permet aux kinésithérapeutes novices d’apprendre les gestes de base de la KR dans un environnement didactique et protégé. Ce travail s’inscrit dans la continuité de cette étude, et devra permettre à terme d’améliorer la formation, en proposant des situations didactiques variées. Dans un premier temps, un système permettant de reproduire sur le simulateur le mouvement de respiration du nourrisson a été réalisé. Puis nous avons travaillé sur la conception d’un mécanisme permettant d’obtenir un comportement mécanique variable au niveau du thorax, afin de permettre à l’apprenant de s’entrainer sur différents cas cliniques. Pour la réalisation d’un tel dispositif, nous nous sommes orientés vers des systèmes classiquement utilisés pour dissiper de l’énergie en modifiant la raideur et/ou l’amortissement de la structure. Deux dispositifs semi-actifs basés sur l’utilisation d’un vérin hydraulique ont été principalement étudiés. Ils se différencient par la façon dont l’écoulement du fluide entre les deux chambres du vérin est modifié : le premier par un changement de section de la canalisation, le deuxième par une modification des propriétés d’écoulement d’un fluide magnétorhéologique. La première solution a été validée partiellement par un kinésithérapeute référent mais n’est pas tout à fait satisfaisante. La seconde a été testée sur un banc d’essai spécifique et semble être une voie prometteuse pour la réalisation du simulateur à propriétés variables / In France, 460000 infants between one month and two years are affected by the acute bronchiolitis each winter. This viral infection which leads to an inflammation of the respiratory tract is generally treated during a respiratory physiotherapy(RP) session. In order to improve the technical learning of the paediatric RP, a simulator which represents a six month old infant with an average type of bronchiolitis was developed in the laboratory SYMME. This first simulator allows the physiotherapist students to learn the basic gestures of the RP in a didactic and safe environment. This research work follows the frame work of this study and should allow an improvement of the training by proposing various didactic situations. As a first step, a system that allows reproducing the breathing movement of an infant on the simulator was developed. Then we worked on the design of a mechanism that allows obtaining a variable mechanical behaviour of the thorax in order to enable the student to practice on different clinical cases. For the realisation of such a device, we focused on systems which are conventionally used to dissipate energy by modifying the stiffness and/or the damping of the structure. Two semi-active devices based on the usage of a cylinder/piston system were examined. They differ in the way the pressure difference between the two chambers of the cylinder is generated : first, by changing the flow geometry and second, by a modification of the fluid flow characteristics of a magnetorheological fluid. The first solution was partially validated by a physiotherapist but was not completly satisfying. The second solution was tested on a specific test bench and seems to be a promising way to realise a simulator with variable properties.