Annuloplasty Ring FEA Model Verification Using a Strain Gage

An annuloplasty ring is a medical device used to stabilize the perimeter of the orifice of a mitral or tricuspid valve in the human heart during reconstructive valve surgery. The annuloplasty ring under consideration consists of a metallic core surrounded by an elastomeric tube covered in cloth. Finite element analysis (FEA) has been performed to understand the stress distribution in the metallic ring core. The present study verifies the FEA model used for the ring core by comparing the surface strains predicted using FEA to those measured with a surface mounted strain gage during an analogous physical tensile test.