A nonlinear finite element stress analysis of the leaflets of a prosthetic heart valve

✍ Scribed by Siddik Ozpetek; C. Barclay Gilpin

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 508 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0895-7177
• DOI: 10.1016/0895-7177(88)90471-2

✦ Synopsis

In this study, a method was developed to analyze the leaflet of a prosthetic heart valve. Basically, the method was an interactive procedure between ANSYS program results and a written FORTRAN program from which the "coaptation nodes" were determined to be constrained. Before pressure is applied, an undeformed leaflet has two initial coaptation areas where it abuts the adjacent leaflets. The entire leaflet stretches like a balloon when blood pressure impinges upon it and, as a result of this ballooning behavior, each coaptation area becomes larger and larger as the pressure increases. Maximum stresses were found to occur near the intersection of the stent and the free edge of the leaflet. Minimum stresses were found to occur near the midpoint of the free edge of the leaflet.

The average equivalent stress at the "belly" area was found to be 53 psi.