Development of an experimental slicone model of venous valves

Venous valves are important components of the circulatory system. These valves open and close with pressure oscillations due to contraction and relaxation of the surrounding skeletal muscle, allowing forward flow and blocking reverse flow, thus enabling return of blood from the lower extremities against gravity back to the heart. However, the venous valve region is also the origin of the majority of instances of venous thromboembolism (VTE). VTE, which includes both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a leading cause of death in the United States and is an especially serious concern for those who experience extended periods of physical inactivity (such as hospitalization or long plane rides). Here, we describe a silicone model of the venous valve region, including a highly-flexible model valve. We demonstrate the ability of our model valve to open and close with pressure oscillations, and compare the resulting flow to that found in numerical simulations. This model allows us to control morphological conditions such as valve shape and stiffness to investigate their effect on the resulting flow. Further, this model will allow for validation of numerical results, and will give insights into the possible effects of imperfections and additional conditions not typically considered in numerical simulations.