Effects of flow vortex on a chorded mitral valve in the left ventricle

An Immersed Boundary fluid-structure interaction model is developed to investigate the dynamic behaviour of a prosthetic chorded mitral valve (MV) inside the left ventricle (LV). In order to simulate more realistic physiological flow conditions, in vivo magnetic resonance images of the LV are used to determine the anatomical structure and the motion of the LV. The LV geometry and its motion are incorporated into the dynamic MV model. This model allows us to investigate the influences of the flow vortex generated by the LV motion on the MV dynamics, as well as the impact of the motion of the chordae attachment points (CAPs). Results are compared with two other cases: (i) an LV model with no prescribed motion of the CAPs, (ii) a Tube model in which the LV is replaced by a tube, although the motion of the chordae is incorporated. These special cases enable the influence of the chordae motion and the vortex on the behaviour of the MV to be analysed independently. It is found that when the MV is placed inside a dynamic LV, the chordae and the valve stretch are significantly increased in the commissural region, and the flow field is strongly asymmetric, with a clockwise single vortex appearing after the early rapid filling phase of the diastole. Given that we impose a flow rate boundary condition, the reverse pressure gradient cannot be established and, hence, the valve does not close properly. Clearly, the presence of the flow vortex alone is not strong enough to aid the valve closure. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.