Heart Valves

The geometry for the mitral and tricuspid valves was modified slightly to improve the coaptation during the cardiac cycle, and numerous chordae were defined. (The chordae geometry defined by Zygote was not used.) The mitral and tricuspid valves are orphan meshes with no association to the corresponding geometric parts. In general, all four valves use the same constitutive model and parameter values used for the passive tissue response for ventricles; however, the values of the mitral and tricuspid valve parameters have been recalibrated using data found in May-Newman and Yin.

The Aortic, Pulmonary, Tricuspid, and Mitral Valves

Simple planar surfaces at the valve locations were created and meshed to demarcate the atrioventricular boundaries and the boundaries between the ventricles and the aorta and pulmonary trunk (shown in the figure below). These surfaces are utilized in the definition of hydrostatic fluid cavities used to model blood flow between the chambers and blood flow in to and out from the heart (see Blood Flow Model).

Planar Surfaces (Shown in Magenta) at the Four Heart Valves