ERI: Investigation of the Effect of Venous Valve Morphology on Fluid Flow Conditions and Disease

Utah Valley University, Orem UT

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). This Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) award will support fundamental research that will build understanding of the impact of venous valve properties on the development of disease. Therefore, this work will promote the progress of science and advance the national health, prosperity and welfare. The body pumps blood using a combination of venous valves and muscle contractions. Together, the valves and muscles pump blood against gravity to get from locations such as the legs back to the heart. Deep vein thrombosis occurs when blood cells build up in the veins near venous valves to form blood clots known as thrombi. Thrombi prevent the valves from functioning properly, and can lead to pulmonary embolism, which is a leading cause of death in the United States and other industrialized countries. It is known that fluid flow conditions in the veins influence when and where a thrombus forms. However, the effect of various properties of venous valves on flow conditions and thrombus formation is mostly unknown. This work will use both computer simulations and experimental testing to identify the most important venous valve properties. Then, this work will determine how these properties affect flow conditions and lead to thrombus formation. This work will reveal how and where venous valves contribute to thrombosis. These results will ultimately improve assessments of thrombosis risk. Additionally, this research will advance engineering education and diversity. Community outreach activities will include the use of venous valve models in local schools in underserved neighborhoods. This project will also provide opportunity for undergraduate students, including those from underrepresented groups, to learn the research process. Fluid dynamic factors such as shear stress, fluid stasis, and fluid residence time are thought to generally be critical to thrombus formation. In this supported work, a combined approach consisting of both fluid-solid interaction modeling and simulation, and experimental model valve flow imaging and characterization will be employed. These two approaches will complement and support each other in elucidating the effect of valve morphology on the aforementioned disease-conducive flow conditions. The work here will not only help give understanding of the effects and behavior of physiological valves, but will also lead to more effective design of prosthetic valves to avoid problems seen in certain physiological morphologies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.