Transcatheter Aortic Valve with Embolic Filter: Experiments and Simulations

Cerebrovascular events are one of the most critical complications following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The majority of these events are associated to calcium debris generated by the stenotic valve manipulation. Embolic protection devices were accordingly designed to reduce the risk of these adverse events. Within this context, an innovative transcatheter aortic valve with embolic filter is proposed, which is temporarily released in the ascending aorta, and avoids severe regurgitation while treating the native valve before the replacement. Experimental tests and computational analyses were conducted on a prototype of the Nitinol frame of the device. The frame integrity throughout the clinical procedure was assessed, radial force curves were experimentally measured and used to calibrate a finite element model.