Valve Testing Chamber with Baffles for High-Speed Heart Valve Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for accelerated life testing of prosthetic heart valves are inefficient, often resulting in overly harsh test conditions and unrepresentative results due to high pressure overshoot and the inability to replicate physiological conditions effectively, while also lacking the capability for high-speed testing and visual observation.
Innovation Solution
The development of a system comprising a chamber assembly with a proximal and distal chamber portion, a valve holder, and baffles to reduce wave reflection, allowing for high-speed testing at 30 Hz or above, minimal pressure overshoot, and visual observation capabilities, while replicating physiological conditions through adjustable fluid dynamic performance and closed-loop controls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional accelerated life testing methods are used to test prosthetic heart valves, then the testing can be completed in a reduced amount of time, but the test conditions become overly harsh and produce unrepresentative results due to high pressure overshoot
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts pressure waveform parameters including rate of rise, peak pressure, and duration to match physiological conditions while enabling accelerated testing. The pressure control system responds in real-time to maintain representative test conditions even at high testing speeds of 30 Hz or above.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple pressure parameters simultaneously (rate of pressure rise, peak pressure, pulse duration, cyclic frequency) to achieve both accelerated testing and physiological representativeness. This multi-parameter optimization allows the system to reduce testing time while maintaining test validity.
2Productivity
If traditional testing systems operate at high speed to reduce testing time, then productivity increases, but the ability to replicate physiological conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to operate dynamically at speeds of 30 Hz or above while maintaining physiological fidelity. The pressure waveform generation and control systems are optimized to deliver accurate pressure profiles even at these high operating frequencies, enabling both high productivity and accurate physiological replication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic pressure waveforms that replicate the natural cardiac cycle at accelerated frequencies. By maintaining the characteristic shape and timing relationships of physiological pressure pulses even at 30 Hz or higher, the system achieves high-speed testing without sacrificing physiological representativeness.
3Productivity
If traditional testing systems apply high pressure to accelerate wear testing, then the testing becomes more efficient, but pressure overshoot occurs causing excessive stress on the valve
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback control mechanisms that monitor pressure in real-time and adjust the pressure waveform to prevent overshoot. This allows the system to maintain high testing efficiency by operating at accelerated speeds while actively preventing excessive stress through continuous pressure regulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure control system is designed with built-in protection against pressure overshoot by pre-configuring the pressure waveform parameters and control response characteristics. This prevents excessive stress on the valve before it can occur, allowing efficient accelerated testing without damaging the test specimen.
4Loss of time
If traditional testing systems focus on high-speed operation to reduce testing duration, then time is reduced, but visual observation and analysis capabilities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses optical copying and imaging techniques to capture visual information of the valve operation at high speeds. Cameras and imaging systems record the valve behavior during accelerated testing, creating a permanent visual record that can be analyzed after the fact, thus preserving observation capability without compromising testing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces optical intermediaries such as cameras, lenses, and imaging systems that mediate between the high-speed mechanical operation of the valve and the human observer or analysis system. This allows visual information to be captured and analyzed even during high-speed accelerated testing at 30 Hz or above.
Data Source
AI summary
A chamber assembly for testing a valve includes a proximal chamber portion that defines a proximal interior space, and a distal chamber portion that defines a distal interior space. The distal interior space includes a gas space. When a liquid is inserted into the proximal and distal chambers there is an interface between the liquid and a gas in the gas space. A valve holder is disposed adjacent to the proximal interior space and the distal interior space. The valve holder is configured to receive the valve in a bore of the valve holder. A shortest distance between a center of the valve when in the bore and the interface is at least about 45 mm.