Setting test conditions on a pulse duplicator has traditionally been an iterative, hands-on task. Operators are responsible for adjusting the volume of air in a compliance chamber(s) and manually setting the system flow resistance to achieve a target pressure waveform. Reaching a desired condition often requires several rounds of adjustments throughout the test run.
To simplify this process, BDC Laboratories introduced a new, patent-pending automation option for the HDTi-6000 Heart Valve Pulse Duplicator System and PQT-5000 Heart Valve Production Quality System. This capability extends the Statys® software closed-loop control to hydraulic conditions that previously required manual adjustments, helping teams establish and maintain test conditions more efficiently and consistently.
With this new capability, the operator enters a target cardiac output and pressure magnitudes into Statys® software. The system then automatically adjusts its compliance, flow resistance and flow magnitude to achieve and maintain those conditions using real-time measured feedback. BDC Laboratories’ patent-pending technology also enables compliance adjustments while testing is underway, eliminating the need to interrupt testing to manually add or remove air.
For R&D and verification and validation engineers using the HDTi-6000, automated setup is designed to support ISO 5840-2 and ISO 5840-3 hydrodynamic testing requirements. ISO 5840 calls for multiple combinations of beat rate, cardiac output, and pressure conditions in valve characterization, all before any repeat testing. Eliminating manual tuning helps simplify the execution of extensive test matrices, making conditions easier to repeat and reproduce.
For production and quality teams using the PQT-5000, technicians performing production qualification can rely on a simpler system interface, while ensuring target test conditions are achieved with each and every heart valve evaluated. Automation supports the PQT-5000’s existing emphasis on repeatable QA assessments and efficient test workflows.
These latest product improvements build on BDC Laboratories’ broader approach to automated cardiovascular testing by bringing hydraulic boundary conditions under software control. Repeatable conditions and integrated analysis help teams spend less time managing the equipment and more time interpreting results.
The new automation capability is available on both new HDTi-6000 and PQT-5000 systems and can also be retrofitted to existing equipment. Contact us to learn more.