A novel design and optimization of a polymeric aortic valve using numerical and experimental techniques

In this Ph.D. research, an accurate numerical method to predict the kinematics of the heart valve leaflets has been developed. The numerical scheme was used to optimize the proposed design of a prosthetic heart valve. The optimization process aimed at addressing the aggressive fatigue failure issue associated with current valve designs. A prototype of the optimized valve was constructed using advanced manufacturing techniques including electron beam melting and 3D printing methods, which is the first time that such techniques have been combined to construct a prosthetic valve. The performance of the optimised valve was evaluated thoroughly with respect to both structural and haemodynamic performance. The improvements of haemodynamic performance of the valve achieved in the present study can reduce left ventricle hypertrophy which improves long-term survival of patients receiving prosthetic heart valve.