A vortex-grid method for blood flow through heart valves

Abstract A combination vortex-grid method for solving the two-dimensional, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in regions with complicated internal, elastic boundaries is presented. The authors believe the method to be applicable to the case of at least moderately high Reynolds number flow. The method is applied to the study of blood flow through the mammalian mitral valve. Previous work of Peskin is extended and the conjecture that the behavior of mammalian heart valves is independent of Reynolds number is supported.