Biomimetic six-axis robots replicate human cardiac papillary muscle motion: pioneering the next generation of biomechanical heart simulator technology.

Papillary muscles serve as attachment points for chordae tendineae which anchor and position mitral valve leaflets for proper coaptation. As the ventricle contracts, the papillary muscles translate and rotate, impacting chordae and leaflet kinematics; this motion can be significantly affected in a diseased heart. In heart simulation, an explanted valve is subjected to physiologic conditions and can be adapted to mimic a disease state, thus providing a valuable tool to quantitatively analyse biomechanics and optimize surgical valve repair.