| The natural aortic valve is able to outlast almost any man-made valve known to date and is a marvellous yet complex structure from a mechanical engineering perspective. However, due to repeated heavy loading, the aortic valve sometimes develops problems such as stenosis, calcification, or even tearing. To correct these pathologies, a replacement prosthesis or repair of the native aortic valve is necessary.;Many challenges arise when attempting to numerically replicate the aortic valve, including the modeling of its dynamics and hyperelastic, anisotropic material properties. In the present study, a finite element model of a normal aortic valve was established and validated using experimental data obtained from a pressurization system and a left-heart simulator, as well as from published works.;Geometric orifice area and valve dynamics agreed well between experimental and simulated valve models, demonstrating that a fluid-structure interactions model is not needed. Moreover, the total states of stress and strain were determined in the whole aortic valve over the entire cardiac cycle. Significant improvements were achieved compared to previously published models.;A new numerical benchmark model of the aortic valve was developed to ultimately study aortic valve disease, the effects of a prosthesis or the consequences of an aortic valve repair procedure. As a first step, the focus was placed on a normal aortic valve, since it is not until the mechanical behaviour of the aortic valve in normal conditions is better elucidated that pathologies and deviations from the norm can be better understood and treated. |
