Investigation of left ventricular mechanics for a mitral valve implanted with a coaptation plate

Ischemic left ventricular disease is one of the leading causes of death in North America, and around the world. There are a few surgical techniques in use, to correct Left ventricular ischemia but their effectiveness has not been particularly exceptional. A new method of correcting it by inducing coaptation by means of a coaptation plate was proposed, and the changes in left ventricular fluid mechanics effected by the implantation of the plate was assessed using techniques of computational fluid dynamics. The parameters for assessment included wall shear stress, vortex formation number, energy efficiency of the plate- implanted system.

The velocity and energy distribution in the anterior left ventricular vortex was assessed in an attempt to answer the long-standing question of the importance of the left ventricular vortex to normal left ventricular function.

Geometric models and associated meshes were rendered in the commercially available software package GAMBIT, and flow simulation was performed using the package software package FLUENT. The results of each case were tabulated, compared and an assessment was made.