Patient‐Specific Investigation of Bileaflet Mechanical Heart Valve Prosthesis Employing Additive Manufacturing Procedures and Numerical Simulations

Abstract

AbstractAortic stenosis is a heart valve disease that comprises one of the most common valvular lesions worldwide that can obstruct blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body leading to a significant mortality rate. In the present study, a sophisticated approach concerning the inspection of patient‐specific human heart conditions is proposed utilizing advanced computational and manufacturing methodologies. The suggested method exploits Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data that are retrieved via a computerized tomography scan process, and the corresponding 3D digital model of the heart is computed. In the next phase, the design the construction of an appropriate mechanical aortic valve is conducted considering the patient anatomical characteristics, which are derived directly from the heart's 3D model. Hereupon, additive manufacturing technologies are employed to accurately feature the customizable geometry of the native aortic valve. In addition, several experimental tests are performed in order to calculate the optimal process‐related parameters; presenting that way a mechanical behavior that resembles the mechanical properties of commercial artificial heart valves. Both the physical and digital 3D models can be used by healthcare professionals to identify potential defects prior to the cardiovascular operation. Finally, a numerical simulation is developed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, which has emerged as an effective tool to explore the heart's hemodynamics pinpointing the efficiency of the aortic valve replacement.