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Experimental investigation of the fluid dynamic aspects of a bileaflet mechanical heart valve

Turbulent flow downstream of a bileaflet mechanical heart valve is investigated using digital particle image velocimetry. Evolution of flow structures during the systole and diastole phases of a typical cardiac cycle is characterized by obtaining global flow velocity measurements in multiple cross-sections of the flow field. Instantaneous and time-averaged patterns of flow velocity, vorticity, and streamline topology are used to illustrate the interaction between the unsteady vortices that results in elevation of shear stress levels. This image-based approach can potentially lead to development of methods of control of platelet activation and provides insight into the underlying flow physics.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/1861
Date17 November 2009
CreatorsMejia, Juan
ContributorsOshkai, Peter
Source SetsUniversity of Victoria
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
RightsAvailable to the World Wide Web

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