Bioinspired NiTi-reinforced polymeric heart valve exhibiting excellent hemodynamics and reduced stress

Abstract

The durability of the current polymeric heart valves remains to be improved, which has proven to be highly dynamics and species dependent. Herein, inspired by the fiber-reinforced structure of native valve leaflets, we developed a valve prototype with the polymer matrix reinforced by NiTi wires in the radial direction, to achieve both desirable dynamics control and stress reduction. Textile technology and computer modeling were primarily utilized for integrated construction and biomimetic geometry. The NiTi-reinforced textile composites had suitable properties with valve leaflets. The pulsating flow tests confirmed that the systolic hemodynamics and leaflet kinetics were significantly optimized through the stiffness-domination of NiTi wires. Particle imaging velocimetry measurements revealed the satisfactory flow field characteristic for VP40-RA6 when compared with other reinforced valves. Furthermore, the finite element analysis indicated that the maximum principal stress and the area percentage of that were significantly reduced. As a preliminary proof-of-concept, this novel valve prototype exhibited excellent comprehensive performance which would be beneficial for the further improvement of long-term durability and provide new insight into the design modification of heart valve prosthesis.