title: Negative pressure transients with mechanical heart-valve closure: correlation between in vitro and in vivo results.
abstract: Negative pressure transients (NPT) recorded in a single closing event of mechanical valves in the mitral position in an in vitro setup are compared with data recorded in the left atrium in vivo with the valves implanted in the mitral position in an animal model. The loading at valve closure (dP/dtCL) computed from the in vivo ventricular pressure recording (ranging from 700 to 2300 mm Hg/s) agreed with the magnitudes predicted in our earlier in vitro experiments (750-3000 mm Hg/s). The NPT signals and the corresponding power spectral density plots from the in vivo data were in qualitative agreement with those recorded in vitro. The NPT magnitudes were found to be below the vapor pressure for blood in mechanical valves with rigid occluders suggesting a potential for the valve to cavitate in vivo. Our in vivo results also suggest that the valves with flexible occluders are less likely to cavitate. The correlation of the in vitro and in vivo data also suggests that the flexibility of valve housing used in the in vitro studies is not an important factor in the dynamics of mechanical valve closure in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242-1527, USA. chandran@icaen.uiowa.edu
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Chandran
authors.forename: E U
authors.initials: EU
authors.lastname: Dexter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aluri
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Richenbacher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D006041:Goats; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000502:physiology; D011312:Pressure; D011474:Prosthesis Design