In Vitro Comparison of a Closed and Semi-closed Leaflet Design for Adult and Pediatric Transcatheter Heart Valves

With about 100,000 children in need of a new pulmonary valve each year worldwide, this study evaluates geometrical approaches in adult as well as pediatric size and condition. A commercially available pulse duplicator (ViVitro Labs Inc., Victoria/Canada) was used for in vitro assessment. For both the adult and the pediatric prostheses, valves with the closed geometry had significantly reduced tightness with more inhomogeneity and pinwheeling compared to the semi-closed valves.