Ex-Vivo Simulator Poster Now Available

Dev Amatya PhD, ViVitro Labs Senior Research Biomedical Engineer, presented a poster session covering results of research conducted with Matthias Menne (Helmholtz Institute) during TCT 2014. A copy of the poster is now available for download.

The session examined whether an ex-vivo simulator reliably duplicates the movement of the mitral and aortic heart valve.  Anticipated advantages of such an outcome would include reduced time and costs compared to animal tests.

In-Vitro cardiac simulators  test opportunities for transcatheter valve therapies by replicating the physiological flow and pressure accurately.  However, anatomical similarity needed for some transcatheter device testing is not supported, nor is some types of physician training and teaching. An ex-vivo simulator could combine the additional anatomical similarity with physiological flow and pressure signatures.

Matthias explains the parameters: “We run the system at the nominal values stated in the standard which is 70 beats per minute, 75 ml stroke volume, aortic mean pressure of 100 mmHg. Other values like the flow are subject to those standard conditions and they differ from heart to heart.”