Heart Valves

This work focuses on the simulation of heart valve dynamics and the corresponding fluid flows around it. Fictitious domain methods were deployed to capture the fluid-structure interaction between blood and leaflets. The aortic valve geometries were parameterised to allow for a systematic analysis of key geometric features on the opening and closing of the valve. The work was conducted by Raoul van Loon during his PhD (2005) and post-doc (2007). More recently complementary experimental work was pursued utilising Digital Image Correlation (and soon Particle Image Velocimetry). This work was supported by a Marie Cure Intra European Fellowship.