Abstract:
Mitral valve replacement (MVR) serves as a therapeutic intervention wherein a dysfunctional native valve is substituted with either a mechanical or bioprosthetic prosthesis. This investigation systematically examines hemodynamic modifications within the left ventricle (LV) post-MVR, with particular emphasis on differential impacts of bioprosthetic versus mechanical valves on LV vortex formation and pressure dynamics. To simulate physiological LV motion, a 3D-printed silicone LV model was cyclically actuated through compression and expansion phases using an in vitro mock circulatory loop. Three-dimensional intraventricular flow patterns were quantified through tomographic particle image velocimetry (TomoPIV), while a physics-informed neural network (PINN) methodology was implemented for dynamic pressure field reconstruction under moving boundary conditions. Comparative analysis revealed distinct hemodynamic profiles: the bioprosthetic valve generated a more organized diastolic vortex ring that maintained directional congruence with native valve flow patterns, albeit with elevated transvalvular jet velocity (0.93 m/s vs 0.62 m/s) and accentuated pressure gradients. Conversely, the mechanical valve produced flow reversal characterized by counter-rotating vortices and intricate secondary flow structures, despite generating pressure gradients comparable to those observed in the native valve configuration. These findings elucidate fundamental hemodynamic distinctions between prosthetic valve types, providing biomechanical rationale for personalized valve selection and informing future iterations of prosthesis design to optimize ventricular flow dynamics.