The use of image processing in the investigation of artificial heart valve flow.

A circulation model enlarged ten times with a likewise enlarged model of the artificial heartvalve leads to a very slow motion of the fluid. Many methods of flow visualization can therefore be applied. The particle method has been chosen as the most appropriate for further processing. The flow is videotaped, two consecutive frames are selected and with the help of image processing the vector field, the streamlines and the velocity profiles are computed and drawn.