Dynamic Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of Trileaflet Polymer Prosthetic Heart Valves

Valvular heart disease (VHD) continues to be a significant public health issue with an estimated 1–2% of the population affected [1]. Currently, VDH is primarily treated at the end stages with open-heart surgical replacement of the diseased valve with either a tissue or mechanical prosthetic heart valve (PHV), each having deficiencies including low durability and high thrombosis respectively. Polymer trileaflet PHVs have been designed to mimic the native aortic valve (AV) hemodynamics while being more durable and less thrombogenic than current PHVs. Recent advances in polymers and its applications for polymer PHVs, including transcatheter PHVs or use in the Total Artificial Heart (TAH) (Fig. 1), encourage further research and development [2–4]. Paramount to polymer PHV progress is proving equivalence to commercially available FDA approved PHVs.