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Objectives
User needs |
| One of the major concerns of biomedical
engineers and biomedical industry operators is to date the reduction
of risk related to human implantation of biomedical devices, as heart
valves, artificial hearts, VAD Systems, stents, bypass grafts, etc.
In fact, if from one side the modern technology has successfully tested
innovative biocompatible materials, from the other side it is recognised
that the nature and characteristics of the blood motion modified by
the implanted device still remains, for major items, under investigation. |
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Actually, flow properties, most notably
shear stress, turbulence, in terms of small scale vortices, high temporal
and spatial velocity gradients as well as localised stagnation, have
been implicated in several ventricular assist device problems including
blood cell damage, thrombus formation, calcification and infection.
On the side of the heart valves, the elevated flow stresses and regions
of recirculation of blood origin thrombogenicity due to platelet activation. |
| Today, no
integrated high-performance system in support to design of
these biomedical devices and monitoring phases exists at industrial
level. As well, no adequate systems are in practise of hospitals and
clinics to provide researcher and operators with a mean for verification
of patient constraints before surgery intervention or device implantation. |
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