Development of an experimental test bench for the measurement of fluid dynamic behaviour of mechanical heart valve

In this paper an experimental test bench for mechanical heart valve and the procedure for non-invasive optical measurement are reported. Fluidynamic behaviour of a bileafleat mechanical valve in steady state and pulsed flow conditions has been studied. Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) is used to access velocity and turbulence values at different distances before and after the mechanical valve. Data obtained can be related, according to the literature, to typical pathologies affecting patients who underwent surgical procedures to implant mechanical heart valves. In particular thrombosis and hemolysis can be related to high levels of shear stress affecting blood cells. Measurements of velocity, turbulence and shear stresses have been performed.