The first M.R.I. compatible fully coupled cardiovascular simulator. 3D printed patient specific heart components for cardiovascular fluid dynamic research, medical device testing and medical training
Interchangeable heart valves and components
Innovative M.R.I. compatible heart component clamping devices and support structures
Result of M.R.I. compatibility and heart valve comparison
Progressive severities of aortic regurgitation were simulated in combination with mitral valve orientation changes
Innovative rail track system and pusher support with three degrees of freedom
Customizable heart support structure for multiple pathology representation
Particle trace mapping of velocity fields within the left ventricle of a healthy patient
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Towards a 3D printed patient clone: Application to the effect
of aortic regurgitation on the flow in the left ventricle
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Throughout the completion of my master’s degree of mechanical engineering at Concordia University, this heart simulator was conceived and produced with the intention of providing an affordable high fidelity heart simulator that is capable of representing multiple pathologies with the use of patient specific heart components. The system was intended for magnetic resonance imaging acquisitions which till now had not been achieved on a system that can represent the whole heart. The system allows for cardiovascular fluid dynamic research, medical device testing and medical training on patient specific anatomies.
The system is fully customizable to represent multiple pathologies. The six heart components include four main heart chambers and two main arteries that are completely interchangeable. User friendly clamping devices allow access to the four heart valve locations. To show the capability of the system, a pathology named aortic regurgitation was chosen for simulation towards research experimentation. The results showed the potential of mitral valve orientation changes in order to remove the negative effects of the pathology by creating a reverse vortex within the left ventricle that could be beneficial for the hemodynamics of affected patients.
