A mathematical model that allows the representation of the regurgitation flow of a prosthetic cardiac valve

This work proposes a 0D model for prosthetic cardiac valves which represents the regurgitation flow. This model is used to obtain a precise model of a pulsatile pediatric ventricular assist device (pVAD). The 0D model consists of the cannula-valve inlet and outlet configurations, which represent the discrete transfer functions related to the conduction and non-conduction valve states. The flow and pressure curves in the cardiac valves are measured from a hydraulic test platform connected to a pVAD. To find this model, a sequence of steps is performed, i.e., data pre-processing, the structure model choice and the model refinement. From the simulation of the refined model, the regurgitation flow was represented with a fidelity of 90 % of the value measured in the nominal condition test. The great importance of pVAD modeling is the possibility of coupling with human cardiovascular system model to study the interactions and develop automatic control strategies.