Computer simulation for improved assessment of mitral regurgitation

Since valvular regurgitation is one of the most common malfunctions of the heart the quantification of valvular regurgitation by means of non-invasive methods is desired. However existing methods for quantitative assessment is far from perfect. The aim of this paper is to study the proximal velocity field for non-stationary flow and non-planar geometries by computer simulation, which were performed using the FIDAP package to numerically solve the governing equations. A plexiglass in-vitro model similar to the computer model was used for comparison and the same results were obtained. The authors have found that it is possible to refine the PISA method and standardize flow calculations. Further improvements will hopefully create a tool for the echocardiographer that will facilitate evaluation and clinical applicability of the PISA approach.