NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION ON HEMODYNAMICS AND PLATELET ACTIVATION POTENTIAL OF BILEAFLET MECHANICAL HEART VALVES

Bileaflet mechanical heart valves (BMHVs) are implanted in myriads of patients having valvular deficiencies. BMHVs are known to be the most durable and bio-compatible valves among mechanical prosthetic heart valves, however, they generate non-physiological blood flow pattern which is characterized by elevated shear stresses, flow separation and recirculation, and shed vortices and causes platelet activation, which leads to thrombosis.