Each bileaflet mechanical heart valve design is unique, especially in the geometry of the valve hinge region and this factor may play an important role in thrombogenicity of the valves. The goal of the present study was to experimentally investigate the importance of these design differences on the fluid flow localized to the valve hinge region in two of the commercially available heart valves.

• The risk of thromboembolic events (TE) in patients with mechanical heart valves continues to be a serious problem
• TE events are thought to be primarily triggered by blood-valve material interactions as well as high shear stresses that can cause platelet activation
• Methods to visualize the hinge flow fields have been frequently complex, expensive, and indirect
• The specific aim of this project was to develop a novel visualization technique to study flow in the valve hinge region

 
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