The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Health

Richard G Hoops

Ronald A Robinson

Harold F Stewart

Bruce A Herman

Ronald F Carey

George H Douglas

Apparatus is provided to serve as a phantom for evaluation of prosthetic valves and cardiac ultrasound procedures, wherein a controlled pulsatile flow of a blood-mimicking fluid is passed through a multi-chambered region into which are mounted mitral and aortic valves and adjustably positionable ultrasound transducers. A low friction, drive which involves very low levels of extraneous vibrational inputs, is provided with adjustment of both the volume flow rate of blood-mimicking fluid moved in each operational pulse with further control provided by relatively easily adjusted screws to selectively regulate the systolic and diastolic times of the pulsatile flow generated by a bellows arrangement. Windows made of silicone elastomer material presenting both tissue-equivalent impedance for ultrasound transmission and tissue-equivalent attenuation of the ultrasound are provided in controlled thickness to permit detailed observation of valvular flow parameters of interest, e.g., flow velocity distributions observed in the transesophogeal and apical directions. The apparatus is suitable for clinical ultrasound examination of prosthetic heart valves, the measurement of simulated blood flow velocity profiles, calibration of Doppler ultrasound parameters related to heart valve and related blood flow characteristics, and the fluid mechanical evaluation of cardiovascular devices to compare their performance for comparing competing systems.

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Potomac, MD, United States of America

Richard G Hoops