Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death globally, with roughly 610,000 Americans dying as a result of this disease each year [1]. Heart disease describes a range of conditions that adversely affect the functioning of the heart. Heart valve replacement may be necessary as a treatment for certain forms of heart disease; approximately 65,000 heart valve replacements are preformed in America each year [2]. This shows that there is a large population of people that rely on the available heart valve designs for replacements to maintain their health.
The most common valve currently in use in the bileaflet mechanical heart valve, as shown in Figure 1 below [3]. This can be attributed to its durability. The design is very effective and this valve rarely needs to be re-replaced [4]. One of the most notable problems associated with this valve, is the ticking noise made while it is functioning. This sound is heard in the video in Figure 2 below [5].
This can be a cause of irritability and a nuisance to patients. This project aims to model a mechanical heart valve and research materials for said valve, so as to eliminate the noise currently created by bileaflet mechanical heart valves. This may increase the comfort of patients who receive these heart valve replacements.
The most common valve currently in use in the bileaflet mechanical heart valve, as shown in Figure 1 below [3]. This can be attributed to its durability. The design is very effective and this valve rarely needs to be re-replaced [4]. One of the most notable problems associated with this valve, is the ticking noise made while it is functioning. This sound is heard in the video in Figure 2 below [5].
Figure 1: Current bileaflet design that is being used in patients
Figure 2: Sound of a heart valve ticking from within a patient.
This can be a cause of irritability and a nuisance to patients. This project aims to model a mechanical heart valve and research materials for said valve, so as to eliminate the noise currently created by bileaflet mechanical heart valves. This may increase the comfort of patients who receive these heart valve replacements.
Several steps will be taken as means of completing the design project. The initial research phase will allow for the group to become familiar with the fluid dynamics of the heart and other mechanical valves. This knowledge, along with additional research into the functioning, design, benefits and drawbacks of mechanical heart valves currently in use, will allow for the development of a design which functions correctly and improves upon problems associated with current designs.
The design phase will result in modeling a 3D printed prototype valve. The material acquisition, research and design phases will all occur simultaneously, to ensure that the materials needed to set up the testing mechanism and make the prototypes arrive in a timely manner. Testing will be done to ensure that the design is effective and will be used to justify the design in the final report and during the final presentation. The final portion of the project will be dedicated to producing the final report and presentation.
The design phase will result in modeling a 3D printed prototype valve. The material acquisition, research and design phases will all occur simultaneously, to ensure that the materials needed to set up the testing mechanism and make the prototypes arrive in a timely manner. Testing will be done to ensure that the design is effective and will be used to justify the design in the final report and during the final presentation. The final portion of the project will be dedicated to producing the final report and presentation.
The design project also poses a number of technical challenges. The use of a CAD program to accurately model the heart valve will pose a significant challenge as a result of the complex shapes involved in a mechanical heart valve. The creation of a testing mechanism will also pose an additional challenge. The most significant challenge will be the reduction of the noise created by the valve.
The goal is for the design project to culminate with the production of a working prototype mechanical heart valve that creates minimal noise. Furthermore, a prototype that can be tested and functions as well as current mechanical heart valves is ideal.
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