In vitro hemodynamics and valve imaging in passive beating hearts.

Due to their high complexity, surgical approaches to valve repair may benefit from the use of in vitro simulators both for training and for the investigation of those measures which can lead to better clinical results. In vitro tests are intrinsically more effective when all the anatomical substructures of the valvular complexes are preserved. In this work, a mock apparatus able to house an entire explanted porcine heart and subject it to pulsatile fluid-dynamic conditions was developed, in order to enable the hemodynamic analysis of simulated surgical procedures and the imaging of the valvular structures. The mock loop's hydrodynamic design was based on an ad-hoc defined lumped-parameter model. The left ventricle of an entire swine heart was dynamically pressurized by an external computer-controlled pulse duplicator. The ascending aorta was connected to a hydraulic circuit which simulated the input impedance of the systemic circulation; a reservoir passively filled the left atrium. Accesses for endoscopic imaging were located in the apex of the left ventricle and in the aortic root. The experimental pressure and flow tracings were comparable with the typical in vivo curves; a mean flow of 3.5±0.1l pm and a mean arterial pressure of 101±2 mmHg was obtained. High-quality echographic and endoscopic video recordings demonstrated the system's excellent potential in the observation of the cardiac structures dynamics. The proposed mock loop represents a suitable in vitro system for the testing of minimally-invasive cardiovascular devices and surgical procedures for heart valve repair.