Development of a fluid

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a condition in which the mitral valve does not prevent the reversal of blood flow from the left ventricle into the left atrium. This study aimed at numerically developing a model to mimic MR and poor leaflet coaptation and also comparing the performance of a normal mitral valve to that of the MR conditions at different gap junctions of 1, 3 and 5？mm between the anterior and posterior leaflets. The results revealed no blood flow to the left ventricle when a gap between the leaflets was 0？mm. However, MR increased this blood flow, with increases in the velocity and pressure within the atrium. However, the pressure within the aorta did not vary meaningfully (ranging from 22？kPa for a ‘healthy’ model to 25？kPa for severe MR). The findings from this study have implications not only for understanding the changes in pressure and velocity as a result of MR in the ventricle, atrium or aorta, but also for the development of a computational model suitable for clinical translation when diagnosing and determining treatment for MR