J Artif Organs (2001) 4:113-125 9 The Japanese Society for Artificial Organs 2001

Flow analysis of the bUeaflet mechanical prosthetic heart valves using laser Doppler anemometer: effect of the valve designs and installed orientations to the flow inside the simulated left ventricle Abstract Ever since the first introduction of the ball-type valve by Hufnagel in 1952, which was installed in the de-scending aorta to correct aortic valve insufficiency, great efforts have been aimed to produce ahemodynamically and structurally superior prosthetic heart valve. Bileaflet valves, commercially initiated by the St. Jude medical (SJM) valve, perform satisfactorily, and now the majority of the mechanical-type rosthetic heart valves used clinically are of this type. The recent rend in bileaflet valve design seems to be concentrated on the hinge mechanism and leaflet design to improve performance against thromboembolic complications and hemolysis. This paper studied the effect