Impact of Leaflet Material on Transcatheter Aortic Valve Function

There has been a huge push in the medical device industry to make the current transcatheter aortic valves (TAV) smaller. This would shift some patients who are receiving transapical access site which is in the heart to the transfemoral site which is in the leg. With a decreased hospital stay, and higher endpoint safety transfemoral is typically preferred. Some patients are forced to receive the transapical approach because of the small arteries in their leg and the size of the device. The current TAVs leaflets are made from thick porcine or bovine pericardium which causes the bulkiness in the device. This study presents and experimental and simulation work that aims to examine the functionality of the thinner pericardial leaflet material. The first portion of this paper defines the hemodynamic functionality of the transcatheter aortic heart valves with different leaflet material. The second portion simulates and experimentally outlines the stress and strain relationship of the pericardial leaflets with different material properties. A combination of these finding could develop the ideal transcatheter heart valve which would further help industry to treat patients with the safest procedure without compromising durability and functionality